if you can work and choose not to and instead expect to live on welfare then I would let you starve. I mean that literally
I agree completely. People who abuse that system undermine it.I want to start by noting that I do not have a firm opinion on how "big" government should be, and that, if forced to choose, I would probably say that the welfare system in Ireland is too rewarding of failure, however I will also say that after having lived in countries with a weaker safety net, people in Ireland are nicer to each other. There might be other reasons for that, but maybe feeling like you are part of a caring society, where people will willingly make sacrifices for each other even when that generosity is not appreciated, is part of it, and might be worth more than the extra taxes that we have to pay to enable it.
but thats really because the corporation tax take basically pays the welfare bill, they are both basically around 20 billion euros. If people really felt that the tax taken off their wages is paying for Johnny or Brid to stay at home all day then I doubt people would be so nice about it. Corporation tax gives the government an out from taking difficult decisions. The big issue now is that defence is chronically underfunded and it looks like Ireland is going to have to spend way more now on defence,I want to start by noting that I do not have a firm opinion on how "big" government should be, and that, if forced to choose, I would probably say that the welfare system in Ireland is too rewarding of failure, however I will also say that after having lived in countries with a weaker safety net, people in Ireland are nicer to each other. There might be other reasons for that, but maybe feeling like you are part of a caring society, where people will willingly make sacrifices for each other even when that generosity is not appreciated, is part of it, and might be worth more than the extra taxes that we have to pay to enable it.
I was in Poland recently and major discount supermarket has loyalty card there, the discount prices displayed are only available with the discount card. Thats what they ask you first at the checkout (in polish obviously) "Do you have the loyalty card".From what I know, no other country except the UK has a "card" system in order to get a reasonable price and similarly utilities in Europe don't have these ( currently unavailable) huge discounts that punish the loyal customer.
I'd be in favour of MUP. I know my own GP has said he is already seeing less alcohol issues with younger people.I was in Poland recently and major discount supermarket has loyalty card there, the discount prices displayed are only available with the discount card. Thats what they ask you first at the checkout (in polish obviously) "Do you have the loyalty card".
The discount card for the Biedronka shop (and other shops): how to get one, how it works, what benefits it offers » Типичная Польша
Is it possible to make shopping at a regular grocery store more profitable? Is it possible to receive personalized offers and discounts from the shop? Is getting gifts for purchases also realistic? Sure, it's all doable, all you need to do is have a discount card in your wallet (or phone) for...typicalpoland.com
Although we share one thing with one part of the UK, MUP the ridiculous minimum unit pricing for alcohol, nobody in Europe or most of UK has this and nobody is going to copy us here either. This policy alone was responsible for pushing Ireland to the top of the european price index and shooting us above the Scandinavians
To tie that to MUP is very dubious.I'd be in favour of MUP. I know my own GP has said he is already seeing less alcohol issues with younger people.
Very few of those who do have an addiction will not benefit, but the hope is that the current young generation will see a lower addiction rate as alcohol is not used as a loss leader by supermarkets. (In Dec 2021 the ex tax/vat price of 24 Heineken at one point was 72c - 3c a can)
and the young people have just replaced alcohol with cocaine, at least with alcohol you don't have dealers coming to your house threatening to burn you out if you don't come up with 10 thousand by tomorrow , also horrendous health issues with drug abuseTo tie that to MUP is very dubious.
There was already a trend pre MUP of consumption dropping and especially in that demographic.
Pubs were closed for considerable period during covid.
The link between price and alcohol abuse is dubious. Mediterranean cultures tend to have low alcohol prices, wide availability and far lower rates of alcohol abuse. (Apart from Northern European tourists!) Scandinavia tends to have high alcohol prices, very restricted availability and quite high rates of alcohol problems. Russia has both low prices and high rates of alcohol problems.I'd be in favour of MUP. I know my own GP has said he is already seeing less alcohol issues with younger people.
Very few of those who do have an addiction will not benefit, but the hope is that the current young generation will see a lower addiction rate as alcohol is not used as a loss leader by supermarkets. (In Dec 2021 the ex tax/vat price of 24 Heineken at one point was 72c - 3c a can)
Also notable that MUP doesn't affect the vintner's lobby, a grouping with outsize political influence, but instead penalises their competitors. Funny, that.
To tie that to MUP is very dubious.
There was already a trend pre MUP of consumption dropping and especially in that demographic.
Pubs were closed for considerable period during covid.
The link between price and alcohol abuse is dubious. Mediterranean cultures tend to have low alcohol prices, wide availability and far lower rates of alcohol abuse. (Apart from Northern European tourists!) Scandinavia tends to have high alcohol prices, very restricted availability and quite high rates of alcohol problems. Russia has both low prices and high rates of alcohol problems.
In other words, the incidence of problems doesn't appear to be a function of price. It's far more to do with societal culture.
Perhaps COVID lockdown had something to do with the numbers too?In Scotland and Wales (which have similar social relationship with alcohol to Ireland) MUP decreased alcohol sales by 7% to 9%. The main reduction was in households which had the highest consumption levels pre-MUP, which was the target group.
In Scotland, MUP is credited with decreasing alcohol-induced hospitalisation by 4% and alcohol-induced deaths by 14%.
See: https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanpub/article/PIIS2468-2667(21)00052-9/fulltext and https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(23)00497-X/fulltext
You are making the error many make on using Irish purchasing power to prices in other countries and many of these price surveys don't take that into account either. If that was taken into account, the survey would throw up a far different result.The link between price and alcohol abuse is dubious. Mediterranean cultures tend to have low alcohol prices, wide availability and far lower rates of alcohol abuse. (Apart from Northern European tourists!) Scandinavia tends to have high alcohol prices, very restricted availability and quite high rates of alcohol problems. Russia has both low prices and high rates of alcohol problems.
In other words, the incidence of problems doesn't appear to be a function of price. It's far more to do with societal culture.
Also notable that MUP doesn't affect the vintner's lobby, a grouping with outsize political influence, but instead penalises their competitors. Funny, that.
I was in a very ordinary Dublin "gastropub" for lunch last week and a very nice fish and chips was 15.95 which isn't too bad these days. But the accompanying Coke Zero was €3.30 for a 200ml bottle which wasn't even chilled. That's a complete price gouge. And absolutely nothing to do with MUP.
Perhaps COVID lockdown had something to do with the numbers too?
I haven't read the ESRI report but from the summary in the Indo it is not referring to FDI but to windfall corporation taxes that have next to nothing to do with employment or economic activity in Ireland.Also he assumes (wrongly) that you can strip out corporation tax income and everything else will remain the same as if such a scenario wouldn't Also result in a big drop in multinational employment as FDI switches to other cheaper countries with better infrastructure like for example Portugal or Poland
I'm sure that is backed up with data.John Fitzgerald (have they not got anyone else in the esri) basically saying that we have higher living standards than eu average even if you strip out corporation tax windfalls.
What assumptions? "I don't like your conclusion so your data is wrong or incomplete" is not a worthwhile retort. You need to have facts and data in order to counter his conclusions.I don't believe him and all these studies are always based on assumptions that can be dead wrong when reality hits.
Why do you think that? There are other things that determine standard of living other than consumer prices.The fact that ireland has the highest prices in the EU means that our standard of living is lower than comparable income countries simply because that income buys less goods and services.
"Using GNI* as a measure of national income, Ireland appears to have an aboveaverage standard of living while, on the basis of household and publicconsumption, Ireland has somewhat lower standard of living, partly because of thehigh rate of saving in Ireland."I haven't read the ESRI report but from the summary in the Indo it is not referring to FDI but to windfall corporation taxes that have next to nothing to do with employment or economic activity in Ireland.
Here is the report: https://www.esri.ie/system/files/publications/QEC2023SUM_SA_FitzGerald_0.pdf