Politics
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POINTERS FOR ECONOMIC EQUALITY 1. Jobs and long-term Unemployment The recovery in jobs is an important contribution to addressing recent, recession induced, levels of economic inequality. However, it is not the only contribution required of the labour market. The key labour market, and perhaps key public policy, issue for the next decade will be long-term […]
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By Joe Higgins. The Oxfam Davos Report published on January 18 got relatively little media coverage here and was buried after twenty-four hours. Yet its content is truly shocking, pointing to a world that is witnessing massive inequality and an ever-widening chasm in the wealth of the big majority of humanity as against that of […]
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Social Protection – Report Card.
Result: C kept core benefits but regressively reduced much else Jobseeker’s allowance, jobseeker’s benefit, the one-parent-family parent payment and disability benefit. are the key welfare payments provided by the State. They were reduced drastically between 2009 and 2011-12 and have been frozen since then. To restore these core welfare payments to their 2009 level, taking […]
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Result: D Two foolish Ministers for the Environment merely went throught the motions The environment isn’t a vested interest so it doesn’t rate in Ireland. Enda Kenny argues for Irish exceptionalism on climate change and prevailed in Europe which has now recognised the special position of Irish agriculture in European climate-change policy. We’re not and […]
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Health – Report Card.
Result: D A poor vision that failed. Everyone who is ordinarily resident in the country has access to public hospital services, whether they have health insurance, a medical card or nothing at all. The services may not be free and may be subject to waiting times depending on medical condition. Without a medical card patients […]
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Enda Kenny has defied those detractors who have claimed for many years that he is not up to the job of leading the country. Or has he? His supporters claim that he has brought the country, and the economy, from the brink of complete meltdown to steady recovery and is now set to be the […]
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In its Programme for Government, no less than 25 small-business-specific commitments were identified. This recognition and focus in and of itself has been significant, and is justified, as the economic importance of small firms in Ireland cannot be overestimated. Even more problematic has been the championing of the trade-union-backed €11.50 “Living Wage” by some Government […]