The rush to sell AIB shares risks leaving billions behind
The legacy of both men will be mixed — some very good stuff, some pretty bad stuff, and mostly lots of mediocre stuff. Perhaps that might be considered a very good outcome when viewed in the context of political governance in Ireland in recent decades. In my opinion, we should aspire to something better — in fact, we deserve something better.
No administration in recent years was given such a strong mandate to fundamentally reform so many aspects of Irish life and economic governance as the Fine Gael-Labour coalition were in 2011. After the debacle that befell the country from 2008 onwards, sensible people were crying out for reform and change but, when facing an open goal, the Government put the ball over the bar. The debacle over water charges, which most sensible people agreed with, is quite typical of Ireland’s political malaise. Water is a story of gross incompetence, as is the ongoing crisis in housing and health.
