As we approach the end of 2016, it is clear that our weak and fractured Government faces immense challenges in 2017 and one would have to question its chances of survival. More pertinently, if it does actually survive, one would have to question if it actually has the strength and coherence to govern the country in a sensible and prudent manner. I fear not.

A survey of CEOs, conducted earlier this week by Deloitte, showed that 93% of all bosses intend to expand their businesses next year.

2016 will go down in history as a year of immense significance. Whether this is for better or worse remains to be seen, but with a combination of Brexit and the election of an hotelier to the White House, the future promises to be very, very interesting.

Global political developments continue to scare. Greek politics over the past couple of years; two Spanish elections; Ireland’s election in February; and the Brexit vote in June are all symptomatic of the global rejection of conventional politics.

With solid recovery now firmly established in the Irish economy, one might have thought that we had left the dark days of the Great Recession behind us, but alas that is far from the case.

Following the general election in February and the subsequent formation of a Government, albeit after a protracted period of negotiation, a minister was appointed with responsibility for housing, located in the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government.

Following the presentation of Budget 2017 I had a very empty feeling and was quite critical of the latest fiscal offering.

One commentator wrote last week that Budget 2017 would be a weak budget presented by a weak Government.

Following the debacle of the 2015 growth revisions that accompanied the first quarter of 2016 growth numbers in July, the CSO’s second quarter growth numbers, released earlier this week, represented a pretty tame affair.

The passing of the Labour Day public holiday signals that the summer is over and that autumn is now descending on the US.