In 1984, George Orwell gave us a perfect description of the rhetoric of the Irish government, the European Commission and their hangers-on when promoting Ireland’s bailout exit. He defined doublethink: “To tell deliberate lies, while genuinely believing in them, to forget any fact that has become inconvenient…”.

With the government preparing to milk the 15 December 'exit' from the bailout, hyperbole is being heaped upon hyperbole to welcome the 'return of sovereignty' to Ireland. The government, and in particular the Labour Party, want to use this supposed success story and the good mood it creates to carry them through the difficult local and European elections next May. What is the reality of this 'exit' and the true state of democratic control by people in Ireland over economic and other policies?

The PDF of this paper can be downloaded and printed here.

Caution is necessary when investigating figures for the economic situation in Ireland. There are economic vested interests at work that benefit from spinning every scrap of positive news. The media fully assist this and try to manufacture a mood or belief that substantial progress is just around the corner. So as well as trying to identify perspectives, it is necessary to take up the arguments and the propaganda that is being put forward constantly.

Dave Murray, Socialist Party England and Wales, reviews the new "It's time to take over the banks" FBU pamphlet by Michael Roberts and Mick Brooks. Introduction by Matt Wrack, general secretary, FBU. Available online at www.fbu.org.uk

In the midst of talk about Ireland’s exit from the Troika programme and recovery supposedly in sight, the mortgage crisis affecting hundreds of thousands of ordinary people is being deliberately understated.

For years now workers have been told by right-wing politicians and economists that we need to tighten our belts whilst waxing lyrically about “green shoots of recovery”.

Recent Central Bank figures on mortgage arrears reveal an enormous crisis brewing. With all of the focus on the hundreds of austerity measures this government are implementing, the relentless rise in mortgage arrears numbers has, so far, not gotten the attention it deserves.

The Socialist Party’s budget statement can be read and downloaded here. Or to download it as a PDF, click here.

Introduction

The crisis faced by working people, the unemployed, students and pensioners in Ireland is a crisis of capitalism. While the crash in Ireland has had its own special features related to the property bubble and an historic over reliance on Foreign Direct Investment, this should not obscure the fact that capitalism, a system based on private ownership of key sections of the economy as well as economic activity being geared towards profit and not need and the absence of rational planning of resources, is a crisis prone system that has to be replaced.

The tragic death by suicide of former Priory Hall resident Fiachra Daly has put the exploding mortgage crisis centre stage. The brave decision by his partner Stephanie Meehan go public at this difficult time for her family has put the human face to the tragedy of this financial meltdown.