Precarious Workings in Pursuit of a Government Figure

On the RTE Drivetime radio programme on November 8th, (mp3 download enclosed), Philip Boucher-Hayes went into detail on the think-tank TASC’s report on how up to 20 PERCENT (!!) of Ireland’s employed workforce are in “precarious work”. (Click the link above! WELL worth a listen).

20 percent!!

“Look at our falling unemployment! It’s great!”, we are told.

But wonder why Ireland’s government don’t tackle zero hour contracts?

Question why they push for multiple Seetec schemes? Jobbridge?

TASC’s report has ripped open and confirmed a long unquestioned underbelly of fraud, manipulation and deception at the heart of our state, our government, and how our people are treated.

Economical With The Economical Truth

Oh the economy. Such pleasantries have been told about it since the Irish people were recommended to “Keep the Recovery Going” in General Election 2016.

Favourable descriptions since then have included

• Balanced Books.
• Growth.
• Recovery.
• “Surging”, even.

Such positivity. Especially given all the hardship, cuts and new taxes of the Austerity years. At last the Irish people are reaping the benefits of “the difficult decisions that had to be made”.

…Well…

You Can Bank on the Stress of a Bank Stress Test

On the back of EU-wide Bank Stress Test results showing two of Ireland’s “Pillar” Banks appearing up there as Europe’s ”Worst performing banks”[1] (especially if dealing with another major economic crash), there’s something a little surreal hearing the current governor of the Central Bank declaring “Irish Banks are adequately capitalised”[2].

The year was 2007. Irish Central Bank Governor of the time John Hurley declared how Irish Banks were “robust”, “solidly profitable and well-capitalised” [3]. He stated “Ireland’s Banking system remains well-placed to withstand financial shocks”, even referencing their “negligible exposure” to the tanking US sub-prime mortgage deficit.

Grow. Grow! GROW the Chicanery!

Ireland’s economy grew by 26% in 2015.

26%.

Feel it? Probably not.

This week, Ireland’s growth rate calculation has been dubbed “Leprechaun Economics”, farcical and laughable by lauded world economists.

The reason for the spike in growth has been down to the Multinational inversions (relocating intellectual property to Ireland, technically moving their HQ to a base in Ireland & other “one off events”). This, while maybe not contributing anything at all to the Ireland socially or economically, it does inject into our “official” GDP.

But Is this a once off that need not be worried about? In fact, is this even a first? And how do politicians and journalists alike use these figures anyway?

Dirty Laundry? Set The Machine To Spin

We have become acquainted with the range of new taxes and charges being introduced in Ireland. We have also become accustomed to the slew of excuses used to try and vindicate these charges’ introduction.

To name but two of these excuses:

• “Where will we get the money?”.
• “You are getting these services for free”.

But, in addition to the well-deserved scrutiny these new taxes and charges gain, what about the excuses and validations such as above? Do they stand up to inspection?

Public Service – Have We Fixed It?

There has been one constant theme through a number of these pages and previous posts, including in:

Analysis of the Croke Park Agreement;

Extension of above, in the Haddington Road Agreement;

to more recent posts such as Analysis on the recent Budget;

And that theme has been the question as to whether this government (and the last one too) has fixed our Public Services.

In all the successful “saving” and “cost cutting” we hear government trumpet, have the reams of well publicised inefficiencies been eliminated?

Budget Budget Everywhere, But Not A Drop To Drink

With the budget having not long being announced, the latest government lines consist of

• “Austerity is over”;
• “On the road to recovery”; And
• The same “we have turned a corner” notion we have heard before.

But what do government mean by these phrases? Is there any substance to them? Are we really on the right road?

If the economy is in “Recovery”, there a number of key questions we must first ask.

1. What do government deem as “Recovery”? And,
2. What Economy are they referring to as “recovering”?

Better the Politician You Know?

An interview with a government TD recently, being asking about the Scottish Independence referendum, yet again raised a persistent bugbear in my mind.

When asked how he would vote in the Scottish Independence referendum if he were in Scotland, Labour TD for Louth Ged Nash responded with “I may very well take the view that it’s better the devil you know”. This is not the first time a response along those lines has been muttered. But the acceptance of this attitude being repeatedly used as an argument is quite disconcerting for our society.

Small/Medium (Government) Enterprise Required?

As unemployment remains at an alarming high, we continue to listen to government increasingly gloat on how it is falling. All the while ignore the ever increasing emigration rate (89,000 last year) and the growing number of people being forced to participate in the constantly expanding “work and training placement” schemes. These include two schemes implemented by this government themselves, namely

• The now 18 month internship program called Jobbridge; and

• The “Gateway” scheme.

In the eyes of many, these schemes (as well as government’s continued fuelling of other similar schemes) are not only ways to massage unemployment figures (re-categorise in order to portray a “drop in unemployment”, rather than find a solution), but also a way to mask the holes being left in public service bodies due to cuts, and employment embargoes. Backing is given to this theory by

• the government’s lack of action tackling the exploitation of these schemes as “free/cheap labour” by companies (as well as government departments themselves, who know they have NO ability to retain any of these “interns” full time)

• Schools and other bodies being left with no alternative than to use these schemes to fill gaps left in their service

• Forcing people to work far below the minimum wage government so vehemently shouted for on entering power.

• Increasing a supposed “Internship” to 18 months,

as well as many others.

There are many gripes to be had with the spinning of figures, and playing on reports to suit a certain agenda. And this could, and has formed many discussions on their own. But let’s look on the other side of that. How does government’s plans to increase employment read?

Account-(in)ability of Power

We are hearing a lot of talk recently on the reform required in our political system. There are many areas being discussed, and various ideas put out there. But I am going to focus on a single item that would be a much needed first step towards change, and that is “accountability”. Although I concur that there are much more changes required in our political system, I will talk about accountability in the context of the current system in operation.