One of the biggest problems facing the country is the cost of the public service and the quality it provides. The chance to tackle it left when the Troika left town. Public Service in Ireland exists to benefit those that are employed by it rather than those who use the services.
Public sector employment as a percentage of total employment in Ireland is 24%. These levels are similar to the UK and Eastern European countries (probably as a legacy of communism). However a country with a similar population and demographic as Ireland is New Zealand. NZâs percentage is 12%.
Thatâs all very informative Mike. But it doesnât answer my question. Who should be running the gaff? Who should the head honcho be? Who should be climbing the stais of the Hogan stand after the next election? Who should get the crown? Who should be sitting on the throne? Whoâll take one for the green jersey? Who should we send out to bat? Who will grab the game by the scruff of the neck? Whoâll lead the comeback?
My opinion on the public sector? Off the top of my head
1.The GardaĂ blackmailed the govt into giving them a hefty pay rise. Looks what we get in return.
2. Thereâs a massive hole in the pension pot for retiring public servants.
3. 80% of costs in the HSE are salaries. (I think itâs below 70% in the UK which is hardly a bastion of efficiency).
4. There are on-going talks on pay restoration to Celtic Tiger levels. Levels which have proven to be unsustainable.
The biggest problem with this country is the complete focus on Dublin in terms of Government strategy. As a result cities and towns in rural Ireland are being forgotten about and the price of housing in Dublin is skyrocketing due to massive demand.
Of course we were in this very same position during the bust where the tax payers of Ireland had to bail out private investment to the tune of billions. No lessons have been learned and politicians are still in the ear of developers and builders with tax incentives recently being provided to them to build in the Dublin area.
The GardaĂ got a pay rise for GardaĂ on low pay. Do you think slashing the pay of the people tasked to protect society to extremely low levels will help society?
The pension pot is low because the government didnât put enough into it.
Youâre right on the HSE, we need to invest a lot more in infrastructure. (You probably think we should fire doctors and nurses but Iâm choosing to ignore that because itâs so thick).
What is the âproofâ that it was unsustainable? It was perfectly sustainable if the economy was managed properly and we didnât pay billions to bail out European banks.
Finally, it might interest you to note that Nordic countries public service percentage of employment is about 10% higher than ours. I suppose thatâs unsustainable and their economies will be ruined, oh wait.
Capital expenditure is spent outside Dublin at a far greater level per head of population. Per the ERSI it is at a level of two thirds the national average.
Local property taxes disproportionately screw those living in urban areas. The FG candidates have some proposals to rectify that.
The problem is the same as, surprise surprise, the GGA building stadiums outside of Dublin. Every local big wig wants a few special projects for them. Thatâs why we get substandard infastructure as we spend it on Mick the Muldoonâs latest per project.
Dublin TDs have never been immune to that themselves. Tony Gregory, James Reilly, Finian McGrath, Mary Hanafin, Ruairi Quinn- I could go on but theyâre all guilty of it. At least in Dublin though there is the population to support it.
The reason why Dublin is growing is because it is the only Alpha city in Ireland. We are a small island. Multinationals want to generally locate where the best infastructure, best schools, best universities and some of the brightest minds are. And that will always be Dublin.
When we have the ludicrous situation that is Cork and Shannon Airport for example, my sympathies wane for the country bumpkins having a moan.
Dublin needs more of a supply of houses and apartments to bring down prices. Contrary to the bs about developers in the ear of politicians, it was a political decision in Ireland to destroy the last remnants of the contradiction industry post 2009.