No hope of government accountability in our screwed-up system

The inquiry system we have is like an accused person deciding which judge can hear their case and who the jury members should be. By Vincent Browne.

If Adrian Hardiman of the Supreme Court needed an illustration of the incapacity of Dáil Éireann to conduct a fair and independent inquiry into a matter of current controversy, he could not have wished for a more vivid example than the shemozzle over the holding of an inquiry into the banking crisis.

Time to stand up to the bullies

A highly disturbing report released today may go to the core of the financial mess we find ourselves in. According to Reuters, “a quarter of Wall Street (and UK) executives see wrongdoing as a key to success, according to a survey by whistleblower law firm Labaton Sucharow.”

The “survey of 500 senior executives” also found that:

Tonight with #vinb: The ESM & the debt deal possibilities

On Tonight with Vincent Browne, Jon Ihle, Catherine Murphy, Peter Mathews and Karl Whelan will examine the prospects of the EU 'debt deal' for Ireland and the implications of the High Court ruling on the constitutionality of the European Stability Mechanism, the ESM. {jathumbnailoff}

Quinn must be held to account over financial dealings

Members of the Quinn family deployed every possible ruse to stick us, the Irish public, with the debt they recklessly amassed. By Vincent Browne.

Sean Quinn concocted an elaborate miasma of companies, at least in part, to transfer ownership of hugely valuable property assets into the names of his children. Presumably this was done for tax reasons, at least in the initial stages.

Opening up a new debate on social insurance

Ireland is a ‘low-insured’ economy. When it comes to both contributions and benefits this country is a laggard. What is needed is a long-term strategy that transforms social insurance from a mere ‘safety net’ to a welfare state that provides social and economic certainty to all workers. By Michael Taft.

Dans le rouge

In French, the phrase is “Carrément dans le rouge,” meaning “squarely in debt.” That’s why hundreds of thousands of students and union members involved in Quebec’s education strike have taken to pinning little red squares of cloth to their clothes.

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