Fergus Finlay: Our leaders are running a 'do-nothing' parliament, and it's offensive

Ireland may top global rankings, but rising inequality and political inertia paint a much bleaker picture at home

From last weekend’s newspapers it appears the only thing the Government has time for is a 'rota' of briefings for Michael Lowry and his gang.

So, do you believe it? We’re a country of really high living standards. I’m starting to think it’s a fluke or accident — and really struggling to figure out how we’re going to sustain it.

But still, when The Economist magazine asked the question, Ireland was a major part of the answer. And if The Economist is asking, you’d better take it seriously. It’s one of the oldest magazines in the world – founded more than 180 years ago — with a circulation of more than a million and a global reputation for seldom getting its facts wrong. (Its opinions are a different matter.) So, here’s the question they asked. “Which countries have the best, and worst, living standards?” By way of an answer, they ranked 193 countries, no less. Ireland was number 11 in the world, just (by a smidgeon) outside the top ten. Beaten by Belgium, no less.