Ireland is a society, and not an enterprise

A society should be judged on how it looks after its most vulnerable, and on this score Ireland is failing.

In the past week, we have heard eloquent testimonies of families caught up in the homelessness crisis, while our Minister for Finance, Michael Noonan, cravenly bowed down to US businessman Donald Trump.

Over the weekend, the publication of an Irish rich list showed that 250 people have wealth equivalent to one third of the country’s GDP, and they increased their wealth by 12% in the past year. Meanwhile Peter McVerry, in an interview on RTÉ, said that “a tsunami of homelessness” was coming. Is this country being run as a society or as an enterprise? Obviously, a society needs enterprise to generate revenue and jobs. However, when the economy only benefits a minority, then we need to ask serious questions. Friday provides an opportunity for the electorate to ask this question of themselves.