Dublin Opinion

It was a weekend full of little shocks. Here’s the list.

Shock 1: In sports, everyone in Ireland (apparently) was expecting an Irish win in the Ireland – France game in Croke Park. So supporters were surprised and shocked, angry and crestfallen – having spent an hour and half shouting their faces off while singing The Fields of Athenry – when Ireland finally lost. People thought that because the event fused the home ground of the ancient Gaelic games with the recent success and increasing popularity of Irish rugby that there’s no way we could lose. This historic conjoining was imagined to have some sort of alchemically effect on the Irish team, turning them from a decent enough side into the West brit equivalent of the Fianna. If people did think that, and I suspect they did, t’was clearly bollix.

Shock 2: In politics, Pat Rabbitte, in what was an otherwise strong speech setting out the Labour stall, revealed that after 2 years in government Labour would reduce the lower rate of tax from 20% to 18%. Shocking really. As Frank Little says over at Cedar Lounge Revolution, this benefits ‘low AND high income earners’ and is nothing more than electioneering.
For a start, says Frank, look at their commitments:

“Over 2,000 new hospital beds, costed by Labour at 600 million; pre-school education for one year for all children, costed by Labour at 180 million (Woeful underestimate I suspect); tripling the number of community Gardaí at a cost of 10 million; abolition of the means test for carers at 140 million; and another hundred million (Again, underestimated I think) for their ‘Begin to Buy’ campaign. These five commitments alone amount to an extra billion a year in spending on an annual basis. It ignores the extra spending they’re promising in public transport, such as the proposal to cut Dublin Bus fares for example, or their proposals for higher social welfare spending. Where is the money to come from? This is not the 1980s. Pat can’t simply get De Rossa to speed-dial Pyongyang again.”

While talking with Ben on Saturday afternoon in an impromptu post conference discussion we both thought that Labour should actually increase taxation marginally in order to pay for all that they are planning. Ben argued that people are willing to pay a little extra on tax, and we’re talking about adding on 5 or 10c here, if they know that the money is being put to good use. Of course, for people to accept it, Labour would have to demonstrate that it is going to reform the various institutions too, so that money is not spent inefficiently. This would mean challenging the vested interests, a course of action that would provide a rocky opening for a new government, but this, I believe is what people are expecting.

Labour have good policies on education and health, but if this attempt to undercut the popular tax cutting measures of Fianna Fail and the PDs for the sake of simple electioneering then they’re in danger of losing that advantage.

Shock 3: This is a personal one. All I say is that it’s been a rough weekend, little sleep and a fair amount of anxiety. But thankfully, things are looking better.

Shock 4: The other big shock of course, was being nominated for the Irish Blog Awards in two categories. Us? In two categories?

So we’re now canvassing for votes as Best News/Current Affairs blog (clearly this will be a snip. I mean, look at the piddling competition - it’s a shoe in for sure) and Most Humourous Post for Property Market Causes Ireland To Shit Its Brain – Official!
Not as many nominations as those giants of Irish blogging In Fact, Ah (6 nominations) and I see that Cedars got it’s fair share (Best Blog, Best Political Blog, Best Group Blog and Best Newcomer). But it’s great to get nominated at all.

That Swearing Lady has a bunch of nominations too, gawd bless ‘er and I’m glad to see Head Rambles in there too.
While we’re not going to hone our acceptance speech just yet we’d be grateful if you would consider kicking us in to the shortlist. All you have to do is vote here.