The start of a New Independent Alliance in Dublin
Today saw the start of a new Political Independent Alliance in Dublin run by Shane Ross TD. It is a mix of TDs, Senators and County Councillors. It was launched on the Plinth at Leinster House and through a miscommunication or a lack of understanding, the launch had to reconvene on the road at the gates of Leinster House.
lagarde_kennyA question that is prominent on the minds of Irish people now is ‘does Ireland need a safety net when we exit the bailout on 15th December’.
There is a difference of opinion on this question. David McWilliams says that while Ireland is moving in the right direction and growth of 2 per cent next year will finally contain our escalating debt and it should come down gradually over the following few years. However, if for any reason the growth forecast does not come to pass the national debt could quickly become unsustainable and we will need all the help we can get.
Today, 15th Oct 2013, is Ireland’s seventh austerity Budget.
Michael Noonan, Minister for Finance, and Brendan Howlin, Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, revealed how they plan to take €2.5 billion out of the economy. You can download the entire budget and speeches at the end of this article, just above my photo "Download attachments". There are five reports.
Here are the main details of Michael Noonan’s speech:
What’s the difference between €3.1 billion and €2.5 billion when it comes to hardship on the normal person. €600 million less than our Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, has to take out of the economy in the next budget.
