In 2017, Sinn Féin TD and finance spokesman Pearse Doherty said that his party opposed abolishing the Universal Service Charge (USC). The USC has been a topic of discussion lately, as Fine Gael Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe claimed he had never said the charge would be temporary – a claim which Gript fact checked and […]
Unless this problem magically disappears all by itself, then politicians – and we, the public – are in line for a whole world of pain
One of the most fundamental rules of economics, and one which is intuitively obvious to most people with even a modicum of common sense, is the law of supply and demand. If lots of people want a resource or product, and there’s not a lot of it around, the price will naturally go up as […]
It’s no secret that Ireland, like many countries, is experiencing a serious cost of living crisis, fueled by inflation and a European energy crunch. Average families are facing a projected €1,300 increase in energy costs this year alone, and according to the CSO, inflation in Ireland rose 3.7% last year – the sharpest rise since […]
Fuel costs driving inflation
Ireland suffers from a cost of living crisis because fundamentally it suffers from a supply crisis:
The Polish government has announced that it will dramatically cut VAT on petrol from next month to combat inflation and the rising cost of living. The VAT rate will be cut from 23% to 8%, with other taxes on gas, petrol and electricity being slashed as energy costs rise faster than they have in two […]
Hold on now; I know you’re planning a party with friends, but before you reach for that alcoholic beverage, isn’t there someone you forgot to ask first? Namely, Micheál Martin? Where is your permission slip, boyo? If you’ve tried to buy drink at all in the last few days, you probably will have noticed the […]
Michael Healy-Rae TD has accused Climate Minister Eamon Ryan of living in “Never-Never Land” like Michael Jackson, adding that he would like to welcome the Minister to “the real world” as regards the rising cost of living. The remarks were made yesterday in the Dáil during Leaders’ Questions. “I have always said and I am […]
For most of the past two decades, Ireland’s economic strategy has been predicated on keeping corporation tax low, and attracting multinational companies to invest in Ireland. By and large, it’s worked a treat, with some downsides that we’ll come to in a moment. But attracting companies is one thing. Attracting skilled workers to lead and […]