Irish house prices are now well in excess of their pre-financial crisis peaks.

Is the only thing that will get them down an old fashioned recession? More supply is certainly needed but it is far from clear that more houses equals lower prices - other things are not equal

Why do we still bang on about a cost of living crisis when inflation has fallen towards zero? If not actually zero. May be the answer is really simple: in the US (and probably elsewhere) food and energy price inflation reached 40% in 2022 - higher even than during the great energy shock of 1973.

Europe has more problems than lower interest rates can solve

Even if people have more letters after their name than are in their name, they are still capable of saying daft things.

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The arguments over the help needed for the domestic economy run and run

Is Sinn Fein just a reunification party with a few half-hearted populist policies thrown in to get elected?

Neither Chris nor Jim won the economics Nobel Prize.

And much more!

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Is the Irish inflation rate too low? All economists bar one or two say that the economy is over-heating. Could the opposite be true? Latest data certainly hints in that direction.

Inflation disappoints, ever so slightly, in the US, where interest rate expectations have shifted again. The European interest rate outlook hasn't shifted at all - rates are coming down. Very soon.

An important debate is to be had about whether or not pubs, restaurants and hotels need special treatment from the government.

China would love some over-heating.

Do we want to drive cars that are potentially controlled from Beijing? Or is that just science fiction?

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Is Keir Starmer up to the task? The early evidence suggests not?

Are bankers worth it?

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Will the electorate be grateful for budget 2025?

Where was the long-term strategy and/or vision?

So little for Irish businesses, particularly indigenous SMEs

Tax base narrowed again

Infrastructure mentioned loads of times with few details, let alone plans

Not nearly enough focus on return on invetsment

Will it work? In political terms at least.

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As we approach Budget 2025, we reflect on the usual leaked measures and suggest we are just children looking for the keys to the sweet shop. And yet so many of us say we want more houses, better health and high-quality schools. And then we elect politicians with a mandate to do none of those things.

Is democracy structurally incapable of delivering much needed change? Or is just a system that delivers blocking coalitions to parliaments everywhere that prevent anything serious from happening? Is democracy now just the culturally and economically complacent ensuring that things stay pretty much the same?

All this as the European economy sinks back into sullen economic mediocrity. At least interest rates will fall again in a few weeks and give house prices another much needed boost.

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A prominent ex central banker has suggested that Ireland should spend the money: it's time, he says, for 'Jam today'. That's our interpretation, at least, of his only slightly coded remarks.

Trumponomics: it's time to take them seriously, if not literally.

Another Chinese economic stimulus: bazooka or pea-shooter?

Your weekly reminder about the global nature of the housing crisis

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