Isn’t it odd that the contributors to Fianna Fáil were those most advantaged by the policies of that party? By Vincent Browne.

A sense of solidarity from government would help recover Ireland's ailing economic team. By Vincent Browne.

Last Friday morning, I caught a snatch of the Pat Kenny programme, on which a panel was discussing the issues of the week.

The question of Alan Dukes’s ministerial and TD pensions arose, leading Kenny to comment to the effect: why would Dukes agree to take on the responsibilities of chairman of Anglo Irish Bank if he was required to relinquish his pensions, thereby earning no additional income from Anglo Irish? Why would he do it for nothing?

Máire Geoghegan-Quinn was asked to ‘set an example’ by people costing the State €500,000 a year. By Vincent Browne.

Mary Hanafin was on television the other night telling Máire Geoghegan-Quinn she should forgo her ministerial pension while she is a European commissioner (this was before Máire had her epiphany). Mary Hanafin and the other Ministers, who said as much, had some nerve. Few more so than Mary Hanafin herself.

Adrian Hardiman's recent judgement raises uncomfortable questions for the Flood Tribunal. By Vincent Browne.

When the second interim report of the Planning Tribunal (the main report) was published in September 2002, it went on sale for €1, and was an immediate bestseller.

Instead of undoing the Thatcher legacy, New Labour built on it and deepened inequality in Britain, by Vincent Browne.

If ever a government deserved to be removed from office, the New Labour government in Britain does, that is of course aside from our own Government, which, in the league of governments that must be removed asap, is top of the premiership. Instead of undoing the Thatcherite legacy New Labour compounded it.

There was a low turnout at the launch of the Economic and Social Research Institute’s (ESRI) quarterly economic commentary last Monday morning. Perhaps the economic and business heavy hitters were down at the Four Courts for the Quinn Regulator case, which fizzled out within a minute of starting.

Radical change might be possible if Labour was open to an alternative
strategy of joining leftist groups and individuals. By Vincent Browne.

Eamon Gilmore, Pat Rabbitte, Liz
McManus, Ruairí Quinn, Joan Burton, Michael D Higgins, Jan O’Sullivan,
Proinsias De Rossa and many others in the Labour Party are not venal.
They are able, decent, honourable people committed to the idea of a
fairer society. They believe, with some justification, that if Labour
were the lead party in the next government, Ireland would be a better
place: fairer, less violent, more tolerant.

Incompetence and negligence played a part in the calamity that has befallen us. By Vincent Browne.

The social disruption and public anger in Greece over cutbacks are more healthy than the general apathy here.

How is it there is no public anger over the massive bank bailout that will cost this society tens of billions and forfeit adequate education, social welfare and healthcare for generations?

Michael Somers was head of the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) from 1990 until recently - almost 20 years. 

The NTMA was responsible for the management of the national debt and held on deposit hundreds of millions of euro in various banks at any one time.