Ireland should be an international study about how a state destroyed itself by running a gigantic welfare state despite all of world's money pouring into it Almost €300B national debt. Government is giving free houses, money to people who don't work. It's the only relatively wealthy European country with unlimited dole. And people make a lifestyle out of living on welfare forever. This is despite huge corporation tax…
Half of Ireland's young people have low level of mental wellbeing
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Re: Half of Ireland's young people have low level of mental wellbeing
#22We also don't talk enough about the mental impact of living in one of the worst weather on the planet. Every other day is rainy, dark and foggy.
Re: Half of Ireland's young people have low level of mental wellbeing
#23Ireland should be an international study about how a state destroyed itself by running a gigantic welfare state despite all of world's money pouring into it Almost €300B national debt. Government is giving free houses, money to people who don't work. It's the only relatively wealthy European country with unlimited dole. And people make a lifestyle out of living on welfare forever. This is despite huge corporation tax…
> Almost €300B national debt Well, 223bn, but what's 77bn between friends? About 40% GDP. This puts it fairly low as far as developed countries go (Germany's 66%, UK 97%, US 130%, Japan 264%). > Governing is giving free houses I mean, not notably. > money to people who don't work Ireland has functional full employment (about 4% unemployment rate). Social welfare isn't particularly lavish by Western European standards…
What does Ireland has to show for such a large government employees. Health service is in tatters, so is housing. Come on. Put down the rose tinted glasses.
Re: Half of Ireland's young people have low level of mental wellbeing
#24Ireland should be an international study about how a state destroyed itself by running a gigantic welfare state despite all of world's money pouring into it Almost €300B national debt. Government is giving free houses, money to people who don't work. It's the only relatively wealthy European country with unlimited dole. And people make a lifestyle out of living on welfare forever. This is despite huge corporation tax…
I mean let’s be honest adults here - a 300B national debt is literally nothing. Not even worth discussing in a post or even acting like it’s a problem. Ireland ran a 4 billion euro deficit last year; again this is meaningless. You can dislike these policies you mentioned(on whatever basis…) but let’s not act like Ireland is burning here or something
Re: Half of Ireland's young people have low level of mental wellbeing
#25That’s a neat coincidence, but it doesn’t give me any insight on this problem. What I can say from the article is that it sounds just like articles in the US decrying Gen Z’s “failure to launch”.
It’s a real problem, but it doesn’t seem unique to Ireland. I guess people in UK and continental Europe all struggle with the same problems.
Re: Half of Ireland's young people have low level of mental wellbeing
#26Ireland should be an international study about how a state destroyed itself by running a gigantic welfare state despite all of world's money pouring into it Almost €300B national debt. Government is giving free houses, money to people who don't work. It's the only relatively wealthy European country with unlimited dole. And people make a lifestyle out of living on welfare forever. This is despite huge corporation tax…
> Government is giving free houses, money to people who don't work [...] and people make a lifestyle out of living on welfare forever
This is just the usual blah blah moaning about welfare states in general. What do you mean by "unlimited dole"?
Re: Half of Ireland's young people have low level of mental wellbeing
#27Earlier quoted context omitted.
Any sources for Ireland's government giving free houses?
By law all new developments are required to have 20% social housing. And google search will show you the extent of corruption and free money that goes hand in hand source: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/law-change-to-make-... Also city councils run a large stock of social housing where tenants pay nothing and live for generations
And a ten second google about what "social housing" means as I'm not Irish and don't know, tells me that social housing is not, in fact, free and is instead adjusted rent based on your ability to pay. I suppose it's not impossible that some of it is free, since some people may not be able to pay anything, but this is some incredible goal post shifting from:
> Government is giving free houses
To:
> By law all new developments are required to have 20% social housing
Which then after going to your linked source became:
> Law change to make 20% of units in new developments affordable or social homes
So 1 in 5 newly developed homes has to be affordable or social housing, which is rented, not gifted as property to the unfortunate resident. The horror.
You're of course entitled to disagree with these measures and programs, but if you have to go so far as to be within shouting distance of outright lying, it kind of implies you don't have a good position that can be backed by the actual facts on the ground as opposed to your ideological predispositions.
Re: Half of Ireland's young people have low level of mental wellbeing
#28Earlier quoted context omitted.
> Almost €300B national debt Well, 223bn, but what's 77bn between friends? About 40% GDP. This puts it fairly low as far as developed countries go (Germany's 66%, UK 97%, US 130%, Japan 264%). > Governing is giving free houses I mean, not notably. > money to people who don't work Ireland has functional full employment (about 4% unemployment rate). Social welfare isn't particularly lavish by Western European standards…
Yeah GDP is cooked and is largely inflated by the foreign corporations. What does Ireland have to show for that €223B debt? All of that money was thrown into the welfare pit. What does Ireland has to show for such a large government employees. Health service is in tatters, so is housing. Come on. Put down the rose tinted glasses.
Largely bailing out the banks, actually. Debt fell to practically nothing prior to the financial crisis, then leapt up, and has been kinda flat ever since. So, I mean, arguably welfare for the rich? We were arguably over-generous with the banks.
> What does Ireland has to show for such a large government employees. Health service is in tatters, so is housing.
Again, that is because we _don't actually spend very much on it_, to a large extent. As I said, I think we should be spending more, particularly on building housing.
I'm a bit confused; what sort of changes do you want to see? Cuts to the dole? That wouldn't make any significant difference to the state's finances. Cuts to pensions (the bulk of social welfare)? I mean, good luck with that; no politician is going to run on a policy of annoying old people.
Re: Half of Ireland's young people have low level of mental wellbeing
#29Ireland should be an international study about how a state destroyed itself by running a gigantic welfare state despite all of world's money pouring into it Almost €300B national debt. Government is giving free houses, money to people who don't work. It's the only relatively wealthy European country with unlimited dole. And people make a lifestyle out of living on welfare forever. This is despite huge corporation tax…
The only failings I see with the Irish model is they don’t go far enough in some areas.
I’d like to see the healthcare system expanded for example.
Per captia they are extremely wealthy. Have free education including third level. No student debt. Are extremely educated. Very low crime (including a tiny murder rate). Very low homelessness (although pressure has increased on the system in the last few years because of refugees from Ukraine and asylum seekers - but I’m happy they are helping people and I think most Irish people are too).
They frequently rank highest on happiness measures and the fact that they worry about how young people feel about their future and are willing to make policy changes to accommodate them is a sign of strength not weakness.
Also caring for the less fortunate is a huge positive not a negative.
Re: Half of Ireland's young people have low level of mental wellbeing
#30Earlier quoted context omitted.
Any sources for Ireland's government giving free houses?
By law all new developments are required to have 20% social housing. And google search will show you the extent of corruption and free money that goes hand in hand source: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/politics/law-change-to-make-... Also city councils run a large stock of social housing where tenants pay nothing and live for generations