Can anyone become a government adviser?

What qualifications are needed to be a civil servant or to be on a government advisory body, such as the ESRI?

The ESRI seems to be optimistic about our GDP and GNP, without identifying why. In 2006 to 2007, the ESRI was predicting continuous GDP growth of 12% to 13%, even though our economy was crumbling, and our foreign investors were scrambling to get out. A few sensible people are fearful of another building bubble, as the VAT, and other taxes, drop in to the exchequer coffers. It is fool’s gold, as building work is casual.

One only has to look at the number of unfinished housing estates, and smell the rotting VAT being collected on the negative equity, to know the type of people who inhabit advisory bodies. They are never called to account for their mistakes. It is baffling to hear how clever we were to escape from the Troika and how we can now borrow from any source. Why do we need to borrow?

Surely, our top managers should cut the cloth according to the measure. This government is in power for three years and, other than the shrinking cost of social welfare, which can be attributed to emigration, there is no growth in our economy and our national debt is increasing. Our government is lucky that our poor people are not clever enough to see the incompetence being foisted upon them.

All the intelligent Irish people have left.

Richard Prendergast

Mondaniel

Rathcormac

Co Cork