Sir, – While much of Fintan O’Toole’s cynicism about how we raise revenue in Ireland is justified, the implication that we are an “underdeveloped” or “undeveloped” country is difficult to accept as is the suggestion that the Government does very little about it (“How can Ireland be both filthy rich and bankrupt in ideas and ambitions?”, Opinion & Analysis, April 25th). As per the OECD, “Ireland has the most progressive system of taxes and transfers of any OECD member”, as measured, for example, by the Gini coefficient.
Meanwhile the UN Human Development Index puts the country in eighth place globally, with our gain of six places in recent years among the biggest advances of any highly placed nation. Ireland’s score of 0.945 on a scale from zero to one is not far off the most advanced country, Switzerland, at 0.962.
Whatever might be possible in theory, it seems there are few if any governments anywhere doing more to address inequality or to improve people’s lives than ours has in recent years. The gains that can be made at the level of development we currently enjoy are likely to be quite small. – Yours, etc,
BRIAN O’BRIEN,
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Kinsale,
Co Cork.
Sir, – As our Government seems incapable of using the vast tax receipts for anything that might actually benefit our country’s citizens, ie housing, healthcare, transport, gardaí, public amenities, water infrastructure, etc, can I suggest that if the money is to be squandered, then we at least squander it on something interesting, like starting our own space programme? – Yours, etc,
COLIN C MURPHY,
Terenure,
Dublin 6W.