We’ve seen far too much arrogance and greed, but no political vision

SOME economists have been hard at work this year trying to convince us that the Celtic Tiger is only taking a rest and could be back roaring at some stage in the future, a notion encapsulated in the title of Marc Coleman’s new book The Best is Yet to Come.

Coleman makes much of the fact that Ireland is currently the only country in Europe whose population has not greatly increased since the 19th century and the Republic’s population could reach nine million by the year 2050. By that time, his argument continues, the economic reunification of North and South could see 12 million people flourish in an all-island economy as migrants from eastern Europe and the returning Irish diaspora come together to build a new Ireland.

Whatever about the merits of Coleman’s optimism, he has accurately identified a major problem standing in the way of a new vision for Ireland — “the distractions of a transient obsession with prosperity”. It is difficult to argue with that; the last 10 years have been notable for that obsession and ultimately we are going to pay dearly for it. It is not unlikely that in the future the bookshelves of Ireland will be heaving with books about the mismanagement of prosperity with titles like Where Did It All Go Wrong?