The wasters who lived and dined for Ireland should be the first to go

LIES, damn lies and statistics have long been regarded as the great falsities, but one might also add bureaucrats distorting the national interest in their own personal interest. There was some surprise this week that the Government published the report of An Bord Snip Nua.

Politically, the move made a lot of sense, but the Government has not distinguished itself for either bravery or sensitivity.

Despite its much-heralded cuts in the past nine months, Government spending has actually gone up by 8.9%. It is currently spending €62bn, while it will only take in around €51bn, leaving the country €11bn worse off at the end of the year.