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In this week's edition of 'Beyond the Pale', Cormac Lucey and David Quinn discuss the budget and how every every politician wants to be Santa and no-one wants to be Scrooge. They explain why Social Democracy is the default position of Irish politics, and that one day we will need a 'Scrooge' who is willing to rein in public spending. Charlie Haughey emerges as an unexpected hero.
00:00 Introduction and overview of Irish social and political certainties
02:02 Ireland's historical cycles of economic optimism and crisis
03:58 The flawed nature of Ireland's budget expectations and revenue assumptions
08:08 Public pension liabilities and accounting practices
12:00 Demographic challenges and aging population in Ireland
17:05 The cost of public spending and taxation in Ireland
21:58 Ireland's political consensus and social democratic tendencies
26:05 Management and accountability issues in Irish government
30:01 The influence of European and American politics on Ireland
35:51 Potential future bond market crises and fiscal risks
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