Nat O’Connor’s Seven principles for taxation are that it should be stable, sustainable, adequate, progressive, efficient, transparent and responsive to economic, social and environmental externalities. Ultimately, the taxation discussion should begin with what kind of public services people in Ireland really want. And when we can calculate the likely cost of these services, we can [...]
28 leading economists, social scientists and economic analysts set out an alternative course which could well provide the basis for a new political manifesto. (published in The Irish Times, Mon, Mar 08, 2010) In this open letter, 28 leading economists, social scientists and economic analysts tell the Government that it’s policies for dealing with the [...]
In a fine, angry article in The Irish Times, Fintan O’Toole sums up what’s wrong with public transport policy in Ireland. In fact, now that I think of it, it probably sums up much of public policy in general. And none of this wrong-headedness started with the economic crisis. It started with the beginning of [...]
The Irish Times has a very interesting breakdown of public sector salaries, ranging from €13,403 for a Defence Force private, to €240,000 for a hospital consultant. OF THE 357,175 people working in the public sector, only one-tenth are employed in the Civil Service. Public-sector salaries range from €13,000 to €240,000. (The Irish Times)