John FitzGerald

If there were real competition here between banks, Irish depositors would be substantially better off

Temporary fixes to insulate the population from the full costs of an energy price spike won’t work in the event of a longer-term conflict

St Patrick’s Day offers an opportunity to examine the changing nature of Irish emigration down the centuries

Short-term support should target the most vulnerable through the welfare system but failure to phase out fossil fuels is costing consumers

With the UK facing significant fiscal headwinds, Treasury forbearance of Stormont’s lack of discipline is unlikely to continue

Although Trump’s tariffs were illegal, repayment would be a minefield, given the uncertainty about who actually lost out

While raising barriers and limiting views around Dublin Bay will be unpopular, they will be essential to avoid huge flood damage

Housing crisis runs the risk of deterring returning emigrants in the current generation, which will damage the economy

The Republic has been something of an outlier in how the drop in jobs for those without third-level education has affected the political climate

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Increasing the workforce participation rate of people in their 60s could help offset rising exchequer pension and health burdens

Effective EU retaliation would sensibly target services from the United States, something that will hit the State’s corporation tax take

What happens to the EU payments matters much more to beef farmers than the price of cattle and budget will be under pressure

As the Fed battles political interference, the constitutional independence of the European Central Bank stands as a vital safeguard

Irish parents have chosen more than 1,000 different first names for boys and girls born since 1964

Faced with challenges from US and China, the EU is currently acting like a rabbit in the headlights with no appropriate strategic response

We have made good progress on decarbonising electricity and in retrofitting buildings but are moving too slowly on transport

Budgets in both Britain and Ireland have postponed difficult decisions in a manner that will reduce their room for manoeuvre when the next election looms

While many Northern nationalists see unification as a solution to poor governance, that is a fallacy

Bad bank, which is to be wound up later this year, has been accused to paying too much for assets and not maximising profits on their sale

Calls to reduce such immigration to ease pressures on infrastructure would only makes things worse

Luddite approach to AI won’t serve anyone as workplace is revolutionised

Uisce Éireann left relying on budget funds is the wrong model

Any move to unity in the near future could prove serious for an unprepared Northern Ireland economy

Ireland has benefited hugely from its EU membership and now needs to play a constructive role in its reform

Limiting methane emissions is a good thing but agriculture is producing other, more damaging, greenhouse gases

Very unwise to use up what may be ephemeral corporation tax receipts on long-term tax and spending commitments

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We hear a lot in the media about a cost-of-living crisis. This is seriously at odds with the facts

Traditional, more narrowly focused engineering skills are no longer as valuable as in the past

Report warns that pressure on Big Pharma to cut medicine prices in US could have bigger impact on tax take than relocation of plants

John Foster managed the country’s finances for 34 years to 1811

Allegation that Mercosur might adversely affect beef farmers through falling prices is a scare story without real foundation

As families have become smaller and household wealth has risen, inherited wealth can drive growing inequality in our society

Educating the next generation makes more sense than relying on computer brains

Wind and solar can’t be relied on to replace gas as a reliable source to power our electricity supply

Not much scope for a further increase in third-level participation and productivity growth must slow

However, unless the planning system is reformed, I’m unlikely during my lifetime to ride the metro or drink Shannon water from my tap

Tariffs and a weaker dollar spell trouble for Irish exporters

Either we increase spending to develop infrastructure substantially or we need to slow the economy so it can fit into its old clothes