If our €24bn gap doesn’t start to close soon, we’ll make the Greeks look prudent

LISTENING to Brian Lenihan, and many commentators, you would think we are well on the way to sorting our €24bn fiscal deficit.

The actual figures prove otherwise.

The January figures show that, after two “tough” budgets, the deficit was actually worse than in January 2009. Compared to then, government expenditure dropped 12% while income dropped 17%. Far from stabilising the situation, the gap has got worse.