John FitzGerald: We need to prepare now for future natural disastersWith extreme events predicted to become more frequent we need to build up responsesFri Oct 22 2021 - 05:42
John FitzGerald: Giveaway budget puts off day of reckoningIf our economy continues on its present course, it will reach capacity next yearFri Oct 15 2021 - 05:36
Making sure the investment in the National Development Plan is worth itGetting value for money from NDP projects requires regular assessment and flexibilityFri Oct 08 2021 - 05:21
John FitzGerald: To be carbon-free by 2050 this budget must raise taxes on polluting fuelsBudget is key policy tool to drive emissions reduction across a range of sectorsThu Oct 07 2021 - 09:00
Financial engineering can be damaging to public and private sectorsCapital structure of State-owned utilities is important if they are to expand vital servicesFri Sept 24 2021 - 05:16
Students used to head abroad for summer work – Covid took that awayFrom part-time gigs to summer jobs - students’ work patterns have changedFri Sept 17 2021 - 05:30
Housing For All has a lot to commend it but fails to address key issuesJohn FitzGerald: Delivery will be the only true measure of success for new planFri Sept 10 2021 - 05:11
Covid effects apparent in CSO population estimate for 2021Current slowdown in migration flows could have a longer-term influence on behaviourFri Sept 03 2021 - 06:00
John FitzGerald: Action on global warming will come at a costGovernments worldwide need to level with voters on price of averting looming disasterFri Aug 27 2021 - 05:20
Covid vaccine success contains lessons for future pandemicsJohn FitzGerald: Investment in advance manufacturing would enable cheaper and faster responsesFri Aug 20 2021 - 05:49
State plan to borrow more to ease housing crisis looks unwiseTaxes will need to rise to meet challenges of demographics and climate changeFri Jul 30 2021 - 05:25
Confusing economic signals from Ireland’s canary in the mineJohn FitzGerald: Unexplained surplus on balance of payments needs more studyFri Jul 23 2021 - 05:04
Poem of the week: While Walking in the Armstrong WoodsA new work by John FitzGeraldSat Jul 17 2021 - 06:00
John FitzGerald: UK ‘sweet famine’ teaches us sour restriction lessonMoving from universal curbs to those that exclude only some must be carefully handledFri Jul 16 2021 - 05:05
Influence of income taxes on migration patterns still mattersResearch suggests Irish people are happy to work here for up to 10% less than UK pay ratesFri Jul 09 2021 - 05:10
Higher taxes on fossil fuel cars needed to drive change to electric vehiclesJohn FitzGerald: Adopting Norway’s model could help drive climate change strategyFri Jul 02 2021 - 05:05
John FitzGerald: Fears of surge in Irish house prices over next 18 monthsGovernment should stop throwing petrol on the flames by giving more money to buyersFri Jun 25 2021 - 05:32
Ireland must be part of the solution, not the problem when it comes to global taxBeing seen as a tax haven has been damaging to Ireland’s reputationFri Jun 18 2021 - 05:15
John FitzGerald: EMU a successful work in progressPolicy gaps remain, including weak systems for co-ordinated fiscal response to any crisisFri Jun 11 2021 - 05:30
John FitzGerald: Nitty gritty of property tax reformLevies on housing are hard to evade and avoid hitting those not on property ladderFri Jun 04 2021 - 05:01
Government promises mean higher taxes must be on the wayHuge challenges lie ahead if we are to deliver public services as promisedFri May 28 2021 - 05:11
Carbon border tax would be a climate change ‘persuader’Common feature of all proposals is a substantial tax on emissions from fossil fuelsFri May 21 2021 - 05:09
Economics profession needs greater diversity to enhance innovative thinkingStateside dominance poses a risk that US perspectives prevail in academic literatureFri May 14 2021 - 05:50
EU emissions scheme trumps individual state action on climate changeRevenue in any EU-wide permit scheme ought to accrue to national governmentsFri May 07 2021 - 05:04
John FitzGerald: Post-lockdown lessons from years after WWIIThere was a spending splurge after 1945 as people purchased clothes and travelledFri Apr 30 2021 - 05:18
Pandemic proves ‘ourselves alone’ approach to pharma will not workJohn FitzGerald: Integrated nature of drug sector’s supply chains cannot be unwoundFri Apr 23 2021 - 05:05
John FitzGerald: Corporation tax changes may pack more punch than CovidShift in Biden policy on offshore firms could be minor gain for US but huge hit for IrelandFri Apr 16 2021 - 05:40
Graduates now earn more in Ireland than in UK, but Germany tops bothJohn FitzGerald: Premium for graduates working in Ireland, relative to Britain, varies by sectorFri Apr 09 2021 - 06:05
Where has inflation gone? And should we worry about it coming back?Globalisation and changed economic structures have helped keep inflation under controlFri Apr 02 2021 - 05:03
Spending boom is coming but will not last foreverJohn FitzGerald: Higher taxation will be needed once excess savings are depletedFri Mar 26 2021 - 05:01
John FitzGerald: Working from home may create as many problems as it solvesMove away from remote working will push up housing demand and carbon emissionsFri Mar 19 2021 - 04:50
John FitzGerald: Ireland could end up as roadkill in UK’s game of chicken with EUThe threat of tariffs and border controls on this island hasn’t gone awayFri Mar 12 2021 - 05:20
Job creation is not the be all and end allJohn FitzGerald: The headline number for new positions often greatly exaggerates the benefits to societyFri Mar 05 2021 - 06:00
Ireland’s need to balance the budget books has not gone away, you knowJohn FitzGerald: The more rapid the recovery, the sooner normal fiscal rules applyFri Feb 26 2021 - 06:00
North needs to recognise it can have the best of both worldsJohn FitzGerald: A firm opening a branch in NI would be able to service Britain and the EUFri Feb 19 2021 - 05:45
John Fitzgerald: Learning from life’s natural disruptionsImpact of Covid on education of a generation will be closely studied for yearsFri Feb 12 2021 - 05:07
John FitzGerald: Workable climate policy must chime across bordersIreland, North and South, would benefit by copying best British policiesFri Feb 05 2021 - 05:05
Less choice, less competition, higher prices: How Brexit will hit Irish retailIt will now be easier to import direct from the EU than via the UK, but the cost is significantFri Jan 29 2021 - 05:00
Governments must plan how we will return to normal as more people are vaccinatedThe issue of how rules are adjusted to take account of increasing numbers of people who are vaccinated will raise difficult choicesFri Jan 22 2021 - 06:00
Going green pays dividends for businessJohn FitzGerald: It is increasingly important for firms to be seen as responsible citizensFri Jan 15 2021 - 05:04
Brexit deal a mix of opportunity and disadvantage for IrelandManufacturing, services and food likely to have very different outcomes in the long runFri Jan 08 2021 - 05:05
You may save by switching, but who has the time?Consumers struggle to make good decisions when choices are too many or too complexFri Dec 18 2020 - 05:10
Figuring out the real state of the Irish economyCSO works hard to get accurate picture, but reading the runes still a big askFri Dec 11 2020 - 05:33
Brexit deal would give North unique trade advantageJohn FitzGerald: Deal would be prime opportunity to sell Northern Ireland as a good place for British exporters to do businessFri Dec 04 2020 - 05:19
John FitzGerald: What kind of banking system do we want?Euro-wide banks could reduce the cost of borrowing in IrelandFri Nov 27 2020 - 04:46
Post-Covid spending boom could fast-track recoveryBuild up of household savings likely to herald major spending increase once conditions permitFri Nov 20 2020 - 05:29
Biden faces challenging task in managing pandemic-hit US economyPersonal income in US is forecast to fall 4% in 2021 even without further lockdownsFri Nov 13 2020 - 04:40
Migration has been a brain gain for Ireland in recent decadesAlmost half of Irish adults aged below the mid-30s have lived abroad for at least a yearFri Nov 06 2020 - 05:40
Tighter regulations for car makers will drive buyers to choose electricForcing auto industry to lower emissions key to reaching EU carbon targetsFri Oct 30 2020 - 05:21
John FitzGerald: North needs reform more than unityNorthern Ireland requires deep economic and social change before any referendumFri Oct 23 2020 - 05:53
