McCreevy set to have last laugh

WHEN Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy introduced the SSIA special savings scheme, his stated objective was to stimulate a culture of thrift in Irish society at a time when the country ranked at the bottom of the European savers league.

Since then the concept has been widely attacked as yet another scam aimed at helping the well-off line their pockets.

Roundly condemned by the opposition, media pundits and economists, Mr McCreevy was accused of over-heating the economy when the country could least afford another costly spending spree.