Bailed-out Ireland is to contribute an additional €90 million to the European Union to help plug a shortfall in its 2013 budget. Ludicrous? Yes – but it’s hardly a blip on the radar of incongruity that is the EU’s funny money parade, writes Aaron McKenna.
Congressional leaders will meet with the President at the White House today with just days left to avert a series of tax rises and spending cuts due to come into effect in the new year.
The US is facing a potentially devastating financial crisis in less than a week but what is it all about, what impact will it have on Ireland and what’s got to happen if it is to be avoided? TheJournal.ie explains…
The HSE said this is the first month in which there has been a reduction in the deficit reported. The INMO said the figures “fail to portray the real crisis facing the Irish public health service”.
The chair of the Public Accounts Committee has reacted angrily to the latest report of the Comptroller and Auditor General which was published yesterday.
Economists tell us we’ve got ten years of financial difficulty – so do we want to buckle under, or use this opportunity to reshape Ireland? Aaron McKenna writes.
Comments made by the Justice Minister in the Dáil last week about proposed cuts on the way in his department have been dismissed as figures taken from a savings proposal.
“The majority of people in this country consume alcohol in a moderate, responsible manner that is entirely compatible with a healthy lifestyle and in line with European norms,” said Kathryn D’Arcy, director of Alcohol Beverage Federation of Ireland.
Some people can no longer afford to drink alcohol, others could be looking after their health, while many have suggested that the reduction in consumption could be related to emigration rates.
So today we want to know what do you think. Have you reduced your alcohol consumption in the past year?