Call to temper our expectations is enough to make low paid see red

SIR, The message from our Taoiseach Leo Varadkar for the new year is that we need to temper our expectations. We shouldn’t expect our wages to increase by very much, as we could, after nearly a decade of wage freezes, become uncompetitive. That message, already hinted at by the ESRI some weeks back, will cheer up low paid workers immensly.

We also have to consider government capital spending, apparently. We need schools, road infrastructure and most of all homes. But ‘ heaven can wait’ and those who suffered under our longest recession ever will have to listen to the ‘prudent words’ of those with an abundance – our politicians, the captains of industry and of course that ‘infallible’ body the ESRI.

Those paying exorbitant rents and young couples looking for a house they can afford in our capital city cannot wait and need to see an increase in available property. This is not as big a problem in the towns and villages of lreland as the unemployment rate there is a multiple of the national figure, so demand for property is much less. We are going to have full employment next year tells us – really ?

Dublin will have full employment of course; it has all the wealth and jobs, but all the problems associated with our economic growth as well. How much more can we stuff that city with people, knowing that the roads, buses and light rail can’t cope. The lack of housing makes available property soar in price. An ordinary worker has not got sufficient income to purchase a home. Now these workers are being told by the Taoiseach to hold back on wage demands. Logic is missing here, surely?

The sick, the elderly, the homeless, and the property disaster need our government’s attention and if this means more spending, capital and otherwise, then we need to do it and think of the people firstly and the overheating economy secondly. Surely a country is about its people!

Happy New year to all; well it will be for some anyway.

Sincerely,

Gerry Cournane,

Tralee. the government