Cliff Taylor

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Cliff Taylor

The Government has a problem. And it is largely of its own making. A mix of tax reductions and “once-off” cost-of-living payments in recent budgets have helped to support incomes across the board, including for the large group of middle earners who don’t have much cash left at the end of each month. But now, we are told, the cost-of-living payments need to stop and the tax cuts may need to be ditched due to the threat from the global economic uncertainty focused on the policies of Donald Trump.

3 weeks ago | irishtimes.com | Cliff Taylor

We have got used to trying to assess the damage that may come from Donald Trump’s tariffs and what these might mean for growth and tax revenue. But as this plays out, uncertainty itself is taking a toll, even if this is not yet showing up in national economic figures bar some wobbles in indices which measure the confidence of consumers and businesses. The Irish economy is experiencing a silent slowdown, driven mainly by a fall-off in capital investment by businesses.

1 month ago | irishtimes.com | Cliff Taylor

There is a crisis of accountability at the top of the Irish public service. It resembles a Kafka-esque nightmare of rules, processes and committees, where the focus is on ensuring “strategies” are in place and all the boxes are ticked, rather than actually getting things done. Politicians try to fix things, not by ensuring people do their jobs, but by putting in place workarounds – new bodies, committees and agencies to try to make progress. Housing is the ultimate example.

1 month ago | irishtimes.com | Cliff Taylor

Irish people are Europe’s champion savers. Irish savings accounts were supercharged during Covid-19, growing even faster than those elsewhere in the EU. And since the Covid lockdowns ended, while savings growth has fallen back it is still – in terms of money put into bank accounts – ahead of its pre-Covid level. By contrast, in many other countries the excess bank savings built up during Covid have been run down. 1.

1 month ago | irishtimes.com | Cliff Taylor

Whatever you do, don’t call it “downsizing”. This seemingly harmless word is now part of the generational culture wars. Its very mention has listeners to radio shows picking up their phones and newspaper letter writers grabbing their iPads. It has, somehow, taken on resonance of people being “forced” out of their homes and marched off to a grim bungalow miles away or, worse, whisper it quietly, an apartment.