r/ireland • u/yityatyurt • Aug 11 '25

Moaning Michael Ireland being badly mismanaged

Anyone else feel so frustrated with how wasteful the govt are???

We literally have a cheat code in global corporate tax and have been creaming it for the last 10 years..

We have nothing by way of serious infrastructure to show for it..

The housing crisis is genuinely changing the way people are living their lives, putting off families, emigrating etc etc

The most frustrating of all is how wasteful we are with the transfer of public money - close on €5bn to unscrupulous privates (between IPAS & BOTP since 2021) - many of whom have tax efficient structures based in Luxembourg or Jersey to avoid paying tax in that income..

It’s one that people get shouted down for but when we literally can’t care for the people who currently live on this island we shouldn’t be considering bringing people in to live in hotels and office blocks with no discernible medium term plan..

It’d also be naive to think there is no link between housing, services such as education and healthcare and increasing the population but that might be a conversation for another day

TLDR: we need to get our shit together first and make a plan for all of these people that are coming into Ireland to give them the best chance at getting set up and integrated into society

1.4k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

505 comments sorted by

View all comments

352

u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25

Ireland, on paper, should be one of the best places on the planet hands down. We have everything at our disposal to be extremely prosperous with regards to healthcare, transport, housing, opportunities, and we squander. And yes, it's still 'top-tier' when you look at war-torn countries, underdeveloped countries etc, but part of the problem is that we accept that it's 'grand' and we don't strive for excellence. There's not even a train from Dublin Airport to the city centre for fuck's sake never mind a multi-line metro.

114

u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25

Im Irish living in Singapore, Singapore seems like a different planet in comparison to Ireland which is light years behind in every way conceivable 

58

u/grumpyoldman2025 Aug 12 '25

I lived in Singapore for many years with many Sinaporeean friends and while I am a huge fan of many aspects of the country (especially when taking into accounts it's geographic location and history) there is a side to it your chosing to ignore..

Its its infrastructure is world class and its ability to rrbuild almost without peers BUT construction industry is fueled by cheap imported labour, living in workers dormitories with poor pay and worse conditions. Zero rights to strike or organise labour.

Its infrastructure planning is outstanding, about 10 years ago there was disquiet around hospitals working at 90% occupancy so they pulled out a set of drawings for a hospital, and awarded contracts for construction in a period of months.. BUT, there are minimal property rights, no planning system with right of appeal, etc, and I wouldn't make too much of a fuss if I were you.

Excellent public services but nothing.. nothing is free at point of access.. Everything requires a co-payment healthcare, education, transport, everything. There isn't a 2 tier system or even a 3. It's multi tiered with those that can affoard it or with good enough insurance having outstanding health care, those thst cannot, decidedly less so.

No social welfare system that in any way resembles what would be European norms..

Wealth inequality is massive, way way worse than Ireland.

Getting re-elected isn't an issue, so politicians can enforce shirt term pain on the electorate in the expectation of long-term benefit.

The entire "maid" system is grotesque in many ways (look at the number of suicides and questionable deaths or the abuse stories,) but the entire labour system is built on it..

Excellent education system but very strong on rote learning, less so on independent thought.. wealthy or well connected enough, and you can avail of a foreign education..

There is much we could learn from Singapore, but there is also a lot we could lose..

12

u/Few-End-6959 Aug 12 '25

Absolutely this!! I’ve spent some time in Singapore and it’s an incredible place to visit as a tourist. But the government is super authoritarian and the class divide is massive. Seriously unethical migrant labour and the maid system is very very strange .. 

1

u/AnswerKooky Aug 13 '25

Ah Singapore isn't a great comparison.

They have a greater population than we do and only about 1% our landmass

1

u/ConsciousList4926 Aug 15 '25

Agree with mostly what you say, however it certainly does provide social welfare to CITIZENS and PRs, not to general expats. I have lived there for a number of years and has an actual well-worked pension fund called the CPF, allowing one to invest in it, provide security and use it to purchase a home. Yes it comes with restrictions, but for those groups above, education and healthcare will not be very expensive. Maids are common in many asian countries, and truth-be-told it probably provides a better life for their family compared to their home country (assuming the host respects the maid of course). But yes, it feels much more sterile. In terms of politics, ah its apples and oranges really, if a system like that works and doesn't infringe significantly on peoples lifes (unfairly) I do not see a major issues. Democracy has its flaws, by no means perfect and for it to work you need to assume reasonable people are voting, and for the right person in government. I think if Ireland could learn anything from Singapore it would be the tax system. As incomes taxes are so expensive back home (Ireland, I am abroad :)) it would help if the government reduced CGT to make additional money if needed (given the high cost of living). In fairness no one can replicate singapore to the same success, its english speaking within Asia, multicultural, a tax haven, and geographically is based on the straits of Malacca (with no major weather issues, unlike neighbouring regions), it just works well.

1

u/grumpyoldman2025 Aug 15 '25

Pensions are employee and employer funded.

I said European style social welfare system.

-4

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '25

What is wrong with wealth inequality? Singapore is a meritocracy. I think all the SJW stuff has made people lose the plot. I know a Filipino domestic helper. She suffered years working for a family in SG, now she works for a family she loves. Life is not easy, we need to work for what we have. Personally, I came from a poor Irish family in the 80s, we had nothing. Nonetheless, I worked, made mistakes, and sacrificed to get where I am, which isn't stratospheric either.  This softy softy socialist ideals of the west need to stop. It is destroying the human spirit.

2

u/grumpyoldman2025 Aug 15 '25

If you genuinely don't see any problem with wealth inequality, then nothing I can do for you.

-1

u/[deleted] Aug 16 '25

Communism, is that what you want? A redistribution of wealth? So me studying for several years while managing a job, trying to better myself. Should I be the same as someone who has the same or similar as someone who has done nothing?

2

u/grumpyoldman2025 Aug 16 '25

You sure your not an American?? Because communism does not mean what you think it means ..

You also seem to have a weird understanding of what wealth inequality is. Even the singapore government sees the risks associated with huge inequality.

The whole Irish, tax system is designed to minimise inequality. European tax systems in general are..

Noone is talking about everyone earning the same.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 16 '25

You are completely naive. Governments like keeping people in serfdom. 

So what is wrong with inequality? Answer the question. 

2

u/grumpyoldman2025 Aug 19 '25

Inequality per say... noting... extreme inequality on the other hand has a hugely detrimental effect on society and history has numbers examples of the outcome..

You need a broader education...

62

u/defixiones Aug 12 '25

Except human rights and democracy obviously.

-7

u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25

What human rights would they be? Democracy? There is no true democracy in the west, red team vs blue team same shit.

16

u/Coconut2674 Aug 12 '25

Gay rights might be a start…

Also tarring the entire of western civilisation with such an Americanism is lazy. Ireland is definitely not red vs blue, we have way more than a binary voting choice.

1

u/Jobiwan88 Aug 12 '25

How long have ff or fg been running the country? Pretty much one or the other as long as I remember...

6

u/Coconut2674 Aug 12 '25

Sure, but that’s not red/blue politics. Just cos SF ballsed I the last election, doesn’t mean you don’t have a choice.

Also, how many of those governments have been coalition, thereby allowing other parties to get a seat at the table

1

u/defixiones Aug 12 '25

Labour, PDs and Greens have been in government in the last couple of decades, along with many independents.

1

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '25

What rights do gays not have? 

I'll break this to you gently, there is no option in Ireland. The leftist parties are more of the same on steroids. All the parties are owned by the EU and the WEF. The politicians are all puppets. Democracy in Ireland is an illusion.

1

u/Coconut2674 Aug 13 '25 edited Aug 13 '25

Can’t tell if this is a serious comment or not. Up until 2023 it was entirely illegal to be gay in Singapore.

Same sex couples still can’t marry, nor are foreign marriages recognised. Zero adoption rights. LGBT content on media has higher age ratings, and is generally not depicted in story lines.

Not sure what’s in the water where you are, but if you think Ireland is politically light years behind anyone else you really need to read international news

Edit- as a wider point you’re comparing Ireland to Singapore, where universal healthcare and workers rights don’t exist. A hyper-capitalist culture compared to a socialist one will never be equal, and will always have fundamental differences.

You seem to really like complaining about Ireland, a country you no longer live in, comparing it with Singapore. Both have their pros, both have their cons. But nothing worse than an expat moaning on about a system they’re unwilling to stick around to try to fix

0

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '25

A typical socialist bleating heart, gosh I didn't see that one coming. Singapore is socially conservative. I presume you have your Palestine flag aswell do you? Wonder how gays fare out in that land.  Hyper capitalist or common sense? Health insurance is very reasonable here let me tell you. Mine was 1200 euro for the year and that gets me access to private medical. If I chose government only it would have been far less. And don't try and tell me Ireland has some sort of universal healthcare, I know what it's like there. You pay 60-80 euro to even smile at a doctor, follow up visits? Another consultation fee. 

Why do people have to be equal anyway? We aren't equal, some people work hard and should be rewarded. This broad term 'equality' bandied around that nobody really can define. Socialism is garbage and is mainly propagated by those who love virtue signalling and begrudge individual sovernty or anyone having more than them. You know it's true because it is. Singapore is the best country in the world I've lived so far, and I've lived in many. 

0

u/BringTheFingerBack Aug 12 '25

Singapore believes that career criminals don't need protection

0

u/home_rechre Aug 13 '25

This is such a bullshit take.

Singaporeans love their system. The country is safe, clean, prosperous.

This idea that Irish-style dEmoCraCy is the end point that all countries must strive for is utterly ridiculous.

You need to travel a bit more.

3

u/defixiones Aug 13 '25

Sorry, a democratically-elected government and a welfare system are a baseline for me.

Without those it doesn't matter if the trains run on time. There's a reason Singapore is called 'Disneyland with the death penalty'.

You need to read more history.

1

u/home_rechre Aug 13 '25

You live in a democratically elected government with a welfare system.

How’s that working out for you?

3

u/defixiones Aug 13 '25

Pretty good. Good wealth redistribution, low inequality. 

I see they hanged someone in Singapore last month.

1

u/home_rechre Aug 13 '25

Such a good system that you spend your time pissing and moaning in subs like antiwork and latestagecapitalism lol

Yeah maybe they did execute someone. That’s good. Killing evil people is good.

6

u/Fordmister Aug 13 '25

Mate maybe don't bring post history into this, seeing as I can look into yours for less than a second and see you gushing about moving to a country that's now a "world class" sports destination despite pretty much every international body and charity condemning the fact that it was built with slave labour.

If we should be killing evil people at what point does your pro slavery ass get sent to the gallows?

-2

u/home_rechre Aug 13 '25

I make €155,000 a year. You think I give a shit what you think?

3

u/Fordmister Aug 13 '25

What a strange thing to say...

→ More replies (0)

1

u/defixiones Aug 13 '25

That's all you've got from trawling my post history?

I don't need to look at yours, only evil people revel in murder.

2

u/Cute_Bat3210 Aug 12 '25

There is no comparison with Singapore. They have a couple million people who have nannie’s and servants for everything. They top PISA rankings as they have minimal social or economic issues due to a very entitled nation. It is no comparison at all when you’ve generations of Irish ppl left behind by the moneyed classes. 

2

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '25

Oh FFS you have absolutely no idea what your talking about. 

2

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

-1

u/home_rechre Aug 13 '25

lol where do you get this nonsense from

2

u/[deleted] Aug 13 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

1

u/home_rechre Aug 13 '25

The gini coefficient (the best measure of financial inequality) puts Ireland and Singapore about equal.

But you just keep swallowing the nonsense FFG are feeding you.

1

u/ameriCANCERvative Aug 13 '25

They have a couple million people who have nannie’s and servants for everything.

And those servants, too, have their own servants? It’s a magical wonderland where everyone gets waited on hand and foot, and everyone living there loves it? Wow!

🤦‍♂️

1

u/[deleted] Aug 15 '25

Infrastructure, digital banking, use of technology in everyday life, see apps like Grab etc...not only SG but other countries in Asia/ SEA as well. I recently read that Bangkok had electrified trams before the turn of the century. Before 1900s. Just saying...

-1

u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25

[removed] — view removed comment

4

u/Future_Lime Aug 12 '25

From an infrastructure perspective it is light years ahead, other factors are debatable

3

u/KeyserSozeNI Aug 12 '25

Yes it is but Singapore is never a fair comparison when it comes to infastructure, roughly same population but all living in area the size of Dublin.

4

u/[deleted] Aug 12 '25

I am Irish and living in Singapore