A Tangled Web

The Celtic Leech



At the moment the Irish Republic is suffering from what I term the 'little man syndrome.' Have you ever noticed how little men like to exaggerate their toughness and physical endurance whilst bigger guys have no need to do so? The same applies to the Irish and their constant bragging about how 'rich' their country is. Nearly every day Irish newspapers extol the virtues of supposedly living in one of the most affluent countries in the world. In actual fact the best measure of wealth, i.e. average annual earnings show that the Irish have annual incomes of approximately $23,000, compared to the UK average of $25,100 (World Bank 2002). That said, nobody can doubt the impressive expansion of the Irish economy over recent times, but it is telling that countries which are genuinely prosperous - such as Switzerland - don't have to constantly remind everyone of their fiscal solidity.



If the Irish are as rich as they like to pretend, perhaps they could inform the rest of Europe's citizens why their country was still 'the biggest beneficiary of European funds last year'? It is impossible to travel anywhere in the Republic without coming across projects funded by way of EU largesse. Developments from road resurfacing to the erection of public conveniences seem to be financed by everybody except the Irish. Even the much-vaunted Luas tram system in Dublin was partially funded by European money.



Ireland's self-sufficiency as an independent, sovereign entity has been laughingly dolorific. Only in recent times has the country begun to emulate its neighbours in some semblance of industrial and economic growth. Even then, as the link conclusively demonstrates, the Republic's government (yes the same one that interferes in Ulster, guys and gals!!) still thinks it ethical to suck every conceivable euro from the pockets of fellow Europeans. The Irish Republic is a leech and a parasite, and it is high time other governments had the courage to say so.