Ferrari team principal Stefano Domenicali believes Formula One can help ease tensions in the troubled state by setting a positive example at this weekend’s Grand Prix.
The Green Party has a lot of work to do to regain the trust of voters – but Irish politics needs our voice, writes new Chairperson of the party Roderic O’Gorman.
Latest Eurobarometer survey shows that people are feeling more upbeat about taking control of the economic crisis – but the Irish are one of 13 nations who worry about the impact on jobs.
Shay Given believes that he and Alex McLeish can help Stephen Ireland rekindle the sort of form that saw him named Manchester City’s Player of the Season in 2009.
AN ARTICLE IN US magazine Newsweek which nominated Brian Cowen as one of the world’s 10 most respected leaders has generated over 50 comments in under three days since it was published online.
The article praised Cowen for “prescribing harsh medicine” in the current tough economic climate.
It noted that the “Irish aren’t showing much gratitude”, which is clearly reflected in the comments:
Angie Colton responds to the article:
GRATITUDE? Did I read that right? Gratitude for what – squandering billions of tapayers’ money on bankers who would be in prison anywhere else, while we have essential services being cut? Unbelievable!!!!!!!!! Who allowed this idiot to write this rubbish? I thought Newsweek was a quality publication – it’s down there with the worst of the gutter press!
Digital Orchard simply writes:
Glad to see NEWSWEEK has a sense of humour
Donal Hayes summed it up sucinctly, saying:
Well, thats my Newsweek subscription canceled. Sweet Jesus on a raleigh.
Tadhg McGrath writes:
This guy should be on a wanted poster, not a best leader list. As former finance minister, he has to accept responsibility for the economic mess the country is in.
Paul Moloney says:
Crediting him because he’s giving “harsh medicine” is like crediting a useless drunken father because, after he’s pawned the furniture for beer, has decided to break open the children’s piggy banks to buy them dinner.
But it wasn’t all one-directional Brian-bashing, as a minority of commentators expressed their views that Ireland needs to get on with the job at hand – economic recovery.
Lisa Irwin writes:
Will people stop moaning. He’s doing what is needed.
I assume people here can remember this country before the celtic tiger.
Despite the economic troubles Ireland is still better off than it was in the 90′s.
The economy will recover.
Dermot Cullen says he’s not surprised about the reaction to the piece given Cowen’s approval rating, and comments:
I’m not a Fianna Fail’r but I believe he is making the right moves for Ireland. The international community also thinks this. Pity most Irish people are too pigheaded to see it.
The original article and accompanying comments can be found here.
A thread on boards.ie echoed the responses given on the Newsweek site, with a more balanced division between those agreeing with the summary of Cowen’s position and those venting their anger.
Ads by Google writes:
It’s true though.. We’re getting some international praise for taking corrective action over a year earlier than most places. We can’t see it but we’d be more fooked without it.
Blue_Lagoon writes: NewsWEAK!
The Highwayman posts: Time magazine made Hitler ‘Man of the year’
HE MAY NOT be popular at home, but he certainly seems to have the respect of his international peers.
Taoiseach Brian Cowen has made it in to Newsweek’s list of 10 most respected leaders. Newsweek has nicknamed Cowen “The Fiscal Taskmaster” and have praised him for “prescribing harsh medicine” in a tough economic climate.
The magazine praises the Cowen/Lenihan double-team. “They’ve pushed through austerity packages drastic enough to win the admiration of the international community, raised taxes, and slashed some public salaries by more than 10 percent”.
David Cameron tops the list, which also features Mohamed Nasheed, president of the Maldives, Nicolas Sarkozy of France and the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao.
Newsweek also lists Ireland as the 17th best country to live. The list puts us ahead of Austria, Belgium, Spain, Italy and Portugal but below the UK, Germany, France and the US. Finland tops the lost. Ireland’s health is praised as seventh best in the world.
THE CENTRAL BANK today announced good economic news. Amid the doom and gloom and bad weather the bank has raised its forecast for Ireland in its latest economic outlook. While April showed a 0.5% decline in GDP, the bank now believes there will be a 0.8% rise in GDP over 2010. The boost comes as a result of rising exports.
GDP, which is said to be a better indicator for Ireland, given the large number of foreign multinationals who repatriate their profits abroad, is predicted to decline by 1% in 2010, but the figure is lower than the 1.5% decline previously predicted by the bank.
However, it’s not all good news, as the bank said it believed employment growth was unlikely until the end of the year.
Predictions for 2011 remain bright, with growth of 2.8% in GDP predicted and 2.2% in GNP. The bank said said the figures were contingent on the government cutting the budget deficit, the implementation of the Croke Park agreement and the recovery of the banking sector.
THE RESULTS of the latest Consumer Confidence Monitor show that 22% of people surveyed this month believe the country will be better off.
The figure compares favourably to March when only 9% of people felt positive and November when the figure was just 8%.
Positivity has also reached people’s personal finances with over half of people saying they expected their income this year to be higher or the same as last years income. The survey also highlighted
11% of people expected their income to be higher in the coming year.
46% expected their pay to remain the same.
A small increase in the numbers who expected to buy more goods and services
58% of people feel the economy will be better off in the year ahead.
The survey of over 1,000 people by Behaviour and Attitudes shows that people in Dublin remain the most optimistic.
However the latest review from Retail Excellence Ireland says sales have declined by over 5% in June, up from 4.94 in May and 2.02 in April.
IRELAND is once again becoming a favoured location for foreign direct investment (FDI) according to a new report by IBEC (Irish Business Employers Confederation).
IBEC say the reasons behind our resurgence among foreign multinationals, is due to the ease of doing business in Ireland and a well educated work force. IBEC also states that Ireland is ranked fourth in the world in terms of availability of skilled labour and openness to new ideas and that wages will fall by 9% between 2008 and 2011, all of which has helped to boost investment into Ireland.
IBEC’s Director of International Affairs Brendan Butler said: “The adjustments, while painful, were absolutely essential to protect the Irish economy. The focus over the past two years on increasing productivity and cutting costs has helped companies restore some of the competitiveness lost in the preceding years.
However, Michael Hennigan of Financial blog Finfacts says:Â “What is termed a report, is more a marketing brochure listing positives and could have been produced by a public enterprise agency where focus is generally more on spin than facts.”
Last week the IDA said this was ‘one of the best years on record’ for foreign investment into Ireland.
It also said exports are being helped by improving international demand and the weakening of the euro. The news comes in the wake on negative news from ratings agency Moody’s, which downgraded Ireland’s credit-rating this morning.
THE FIRST REPORT from the Credit Review Office (CRO) says that banks are not holding credit back from SMEs. Head of the CRO, John Trethowan, said that after two difficult recession years, many SMEs and farms had eroded their business capital leaving banks with diffiicult decisions on the level or risk they should assume.
Mr Trethowan said that there was evidence of a lack of experience among staff in banks who had to help SMEs to complete their loan applications, but he found no “policy or guideline” to suggest banks were withholding credit from these businesses.
Separately, BOI and AIB published plans proposing to lend €6 billion over the next two years to SMEs. The plans have been submitted to Brian Lenihan’s office as per NAMA requirements, and they have been reviewd by Mr Trethowan from the CRO.
The CRO was set up by Minister Brian Lenihan in March to check that the credit system is operating effectively for SMEs, including sole traders and farmers. Since its launch, the CRO website has had 2,650 visits from 2,029 different users.
