Cliff Taylor columns
The programme for government lacks any hint of the urgency needed on delivery: instead, what we have seen so far is process-driven, box-ticking sloth
If compact living is really the goal of national policy, then Ireland really needs to get a lot better at this. Our planning system rarely acts in the interests of renters
The bluster would be designed to appeal to the wider electorate; the reality would keep the Dow Jones average heading higher, or so the theory goes
Some forecasters believe the economy will expand by close to 4.5 per cent. Most other EU countries would take your hand off for half that
There is no political division on the issue of the Republic needing a bigger and more efficient State. The question is how to deliver it
Youth work is not an optional extra, it is essential to our communities
Forget the talk about the rotating Taoiseach, serious strategic issues now face Ireland and getting more efficient at delivery of housing, infrastructure and public services is vital
Ireland is an ‘unbelievably rich’ country with the infrastructure of a poor one. And dark clouds are gathering on the horizon
When Labour is preaching prudence, you know we’ve got a problem
The intentions of the new administration are clear. If the promised heavy tariffs on goods entering the US from the EU are imposed, this is a big hit to our economic model
As the new US president targets the European Union, Ireland is likely to find itself in some uncomfortable positions
The Republican candidate has promised dramatic changes in tax and trade policies, with potentially big implications for the Irish economy
Big foreign investors are putting projects on hold because they are losing faith in Ireland’s ability to deliver. We need to do something - but what?
This kind of house is attracting bids both from those seeking to move and from first-time buyers
Budget 2025 tax break for homeowners is hard to justify when the extra tax credit for renters costs €65 million
Interplay of temporary and permanent measures means that this is a budget for better off people with children – the more the better
The Government is aiming to woo voters with a mix of once-off payments this year and permanent tax and welfare measures for 2024. But will the public be confused or grateful?
Apple’s windfall cash will help fund State investment, but promises about top-class education, green energy and abundant water count for little without delivery
Soon, when the tax boom bottoms out, there could be an epic battle over who pays the bills
New figures show that the earnings base has been transformed, with a big economic impact, including in the housing market
Most people favour wealth taxes in theory, though they don’t consider themselves wealthy - but almost nobody seems to be in favour of inheritance tax
Couples with six-figure joint incomes are priced out, but the market is still flush with cash
A little imagination and a bit of cash could stop a childcare problem turning into a crisis
The locked-out generation is a key election battleground: Sinn Féin will hope its policy lands with them
Calls for new quangos should resisted, but there are three reasons to support the establishment of a small powerful group to oversee housing delivery
The economic risks of Donald Trump’s policies have big implications for Ireland - it is time to start taking them much more seriously
The risk is that by the time there is a wider acceptance of the need to move more quickly on vital infrastructure projects, it will be too late
Everyone is spinning a yarn ahead of October 1st — as Roy Keane might say, ‘they are only doing their jobs’
Another Trump presidency is not good news for the classic middle men of a globalised world economy
Michael McGrath’s much-rumoured move to Brussels would leave Paschal Donohoe to face a solo battle over spending demands in the run in to a general election
Ireland’s politicians could not resist a bit of bank-bashing in an election week
The State risks losing out as a bidding war breaks out for major projects between the big countries, including huge subsidies for US companies to encourage them to invest at home
The Department of Housing’s reply to the landmark report was to say that most of what it called for is already being done, If so, why is the commission calling for a ‘radical reset’?
Intel is selling a stake in its Irish plant - how much of the money is invested here will be an indication of whether Ireland’s appeal is waning
Lack of funding forces colleges to charge heavily for accommodation, get in high-paying students from outside the EU and try to milk cash from features like the Book of Kells
Three new developments in housing emerged this week - and not one of them is good news for anyone trying to buy a home
A country which has prospered for many years from being all things to all people is facing some new and difficult questions, particularly if Donald Trump is the next US president
The cocktail called the “budget bonanza” features some reasonable pre-budget suggestions sloshing around with some very poor ones
Falling interest rates will, of course, help prospective buyers too. But they are buying into a market that’s only getting hotter
Irish unity report highlights how analysis of the costs and potential pay-offs is now required
The new Taoiseach can bring fresh energy, but has he new ideas that can improve the lives of the younger voters the party is desperate to attract ?
If Trump returns, the risk will be of a more extreme presidency, featuring aggressive policies on trade and investment with unpredictable consequences for the Irish economy
The lights are not flashing red — but they are now on orange
Many homeowners want to move, but the most severe lack of supply seen in many years is making it impossible for most of them to find a property
When the board is having emergency meetings seven months into a controversy, you know things are not good
Ireland needs to invest massively – in housing, infrastructure, public transport, climate change. But as the public finances tighten this will require better delivery and tough decisions
Red flags are being raised about the Republic’s ability to provide basic services to large employers
Last week’s DUP deal underlines the North’s links to the British market and casts doubts on its willingness to follow EU rules - this puts a big opportunity at risk
State supports like the Help-to Buy and First Home schemes are helping people buy their first home, but there can be risks here for buyers
Government policies are piling extra costs on Irish companies, adding to problems post-Covid - domestic businesses are facing a difficult 2024
There could hardly be a worse time, from the Government’s perpsective, to try to do a public sector pay deal. The surge in taxes has created a mood that pretty much anything can be afforded
The party’s politics works by setting ‘outsiders’ against home-owning ‘insiders’. But fixes demand complex trade-offs
The financial markets gambled — and bet heavily — against the mantra from the central banks that interest rates will have to stay ‘higher for longer’ to reduce inflation. What if they’re wrong?
Ireland has thrived from its openness. If this changes it will be hugely costly
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices
