Here's the summary
Prices have fallen and private sector wages are falling.
It's clear health an education budgets need to be reformed.
The minimum wage does need to be looked at to maintain competitiveness with unemployment benefit review in tandem.
I know the greens have already scuppered the introduction 3rd level fees but perhaps a graduate levy, of say 1%, could be ringfenced to fund universities.
The most important issue raised is that we cannot ignore those struggling to meet mortgage repayments. This is where we need serious outside the box thinking.
The unions have been dead set against a deflationary spiral, but the only arguement I see against reducing wages to more competitive levels is the debt burden. We need to look into a way of assisting those genuinely in trouble with their mortgages whilst discouraging people from getting into that situation in the first place.
- Its report points to falling prices and lower private sector wages.
- The OECD says unemployment benefits should be cut and calls for much better measures to prevent people becoming long-term unemployed.
- It also says the minimum wage of €8.65 an hour is high, and should be reviewed annually.
- The agency says there is scope for reducing health spending by cutting costs and redeploying staff,
- There is a need to look again at the medical card scheme.
- It says class sizes at secondary level could be increased without reducing the quality of education received.
- It says the Government should bring back third-level tuition fees.
- On banking, it calls for speed in establishing NAMA
- Nationalisation of any bank should happen only with the utmost reluctance.
- The OECD also says more needs to be done to help people who are unemployed to meet their mortgage repayments
Prices have fallen and private sector wages are falling.
It's clear health an education budgets need to be reformed.
The minimum wage does need to be looked at to maintain competitiveness with unemployment benefit review in tandem.
I know the greens have already scuppered the introduction 3rd level fees but perhaps a graduate levy, of say 1%, could be ringfenced to fund universities.
The most important issue raised is that we cannot ignore those struggling to meet mortgage repayments. This is where we need serious outside the box thinking.
The unions have been dead set against a deflationary spiral, but the only arguement I see against reducing wages to more competitive levels is the debt burden. We need to look into a way of assisting those genuinely in trouble with their mortgages whilst discouraging people from getting into that situation in the first place.