Home economics

I HOPE our politicians will excuse me as a humble self-employed person for breaking down their horrifying figures into something more understandable? For the past 29 years I had to do weekly balance sheets to ensure I was not living beyond my means.

Perhaps some of our accountant or teacher TDs would point out if I am not seeing the full picture in being terrified by the breakdown of the figures:

Ireland Inc tax-take, €30bn: household income, €30,000. Ireland Inc outgoings, €50bn: household outgoings, €50,000. National debt, €250bn: mortgage, €250,000. Annual interest on debt @ 6%, €15bn: annual interest on mortgage @ 6%, €15,000

If my ‘balance sheet’ is more or less correct, we urgently need political reform as proposed by the Green party and the Croke Park agreement must be shredded before our European and IMF ‘friends’ lose patience with us and we become the Zimbabwe of Europe.

I would appreciate if the politicians’ co-conspirators in ‘Disneyland economics’ — the public sector unions — would advise me where to shop this Christmas. My local superstore has plenty of special offers, but I have failed to find the magic beans that must be available somewhere to make the accounts of Ireland Inc add up.

Mick Murphy

Model Farm Road

Cork