Suggestion....

Help stimulate the motor industry by allowing older cars (maybe back as far as 2000?) to benefit from the carbon-related tax rates...? Nah, I don't think that's a goer, because:

1. The used-car stock is the used-car stock, whereas on new vehicles, with the co2 incentive you can prevent the importation of higher polluting cars - but my suggestion wouldn't change the pool of 2nd hand cars at all.

2. Everyone would buy diesel and then the price of diesel would soar, not to mention the government would suffer from lower petrol duties - I think diesel duty is lower than petrol.

It would be nice, though, if the government didn't change their mind on whether a budget is needed, or how much money needs to be saved quite so often. 2 weeks ago An Tánaiste said a mini-budget wouldn't be necessary, now one is planned for April! 2 weeks ago, 2billion was what we needed to save this year, all of a sudden it's reported as something closer to 4.5 today?

Who's doing the sums?

News

A man who broke his leg went to the Dáil and got some sympathy. This was item 2 on today's radio news. Wow.

Another story today mentioned the fact that people working to improve and regenerate part of the country (PROBABLY FOR FREE TO THOSE IN THAT PART OF THE COUNTRY) received serious threats (DEATH THREATS) from the people they are trying to help. I can't fathom this. It's just unbelievable, that I'd threaten you when you're trying to regenerate my area.....

oh sometimes I wonder about this country, taking back perfectly reasonable and right concessions for people on whose backs this country reached its current greatness whilst continuing to spend money towards improving the housing, environment and services of others who plainly do not appreciate the work that either the government or those forebears have put in for their benefit, probably for free.

Now, government, there's somewhere you can take money from those who plainly don't want it and give it to those that do....?