I see that the Irish Government's end-of-year returns have shown a massive tax revenue shortfall of €8.13 billion. Publishing the much worse-than-anticipated figures today, Minister for Finance Brian Lenihan predicated the economy would shrink by a further four per cent this year and said that “decisive and sustained” Government action was urgently required. The revenue s...

The Northern Irish economy is reaping the benefits of the near parity of the pound to the euro, according to the BBC. Border towns are seeing people flooding over the border from the Irish Republic to take advantage of low VAT and the preferential interest rate. The Irish government recently increased the VAT rate in the republic to

I see that unsurprisingly shares in the three largest Irish banks - Allied Irish Banks, Bank of Ireland and Anglo Irish Bank &# have risen in early trading following the Government’s decision to inject up to €7.5 billion to recapitalise them. At 8.51am shares in Bank of Ireland rose by over 37per cent to 93 cent, AIB by 20 per cent to €1.98while Anglo Irish Bank stock added...

One of the guarantees that the Irish Government (hardline neoliberal, but still with some standards) was trying to demand in its renegotiation of the Lisbon Treaty related to workers’ rights. But one other government blocked that. Guess which one. We need a proper Labour Party. Now.

An Irish Government minister has been held hostage at gunpoint during a robbery at a hotel and golf resort.

An Irish government minister was held hostage at gunpoint during a robbery at a golf resort, the Garda has confirmed.

An Irish government minister was held hostage at gunpoint during a robbery at a golf resort, the Garda has confirmed.

Europe Ireland to hold second referendum on Lisbon Treaty; Gordon Brown questions legal status of “concessions” as Irish government admits it will take months to agree what form they will take There is wide coverage of yesterday’s EU summit in Brussels, where Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen gave a commitment to hold a new referendum on the Lisbon Treaty in return for a number of...

Is democracy dead in the EU? The Irish government has caved in to pressure from the EU and will be holding a second referendum on the EU Constitution Lisbon Treaty, having decisively rejected it the first time around. Brian Cowen, the embattled Irish Prime Minister may have overplayed his hand in this gigantic gamble as he bends

The EU's decision to press on again with the EU constitution, and the Irish government's decision to hold another referendum really does smack of the worst kind of undemocratic behaviour. The fact is that the Irish rejected the EU constitution in a vote. They are unlikely to win any opt outs because that would mean other countries would have to re-ratify the treaty too, meaning in effect...