Michael Taft
@michael-taft.bsky.social
Commentary on Irish Political Economy by Michael Taft, Researcher for SIPTU.
Blogs at www.notesonthefront.org
Blogs at www.notesonthefront.org
Reposted by Michael Taft
Interesting critical take on new housing strategy in today’s @independent.ie by john mccartney
November 16, 2025 at 12:58 PM
Interesting critical take on new housing strategy in today’s @independent.ie by john mccartney
Reposted by Michael Taft
“Cost of agricultural land rises 10% with Dublin most expensive”
Dublin median price/acre €24,125 (so €57,900 /hectare)
1 hectare can fit 35-50 new homes at site price ≈ €80,000/home
Hence windfall profits from re-zoning agricultural land to residential land www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
Dublin median price/acre €24,125 (so €57,900 /hectare)
1 hectare can fit 35-50 new homes at site price ≈ €80,000/home
Hence windfall profits from re-zoning agricultural land to residential land www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
Cost of agricultural land rises 10% with Dublin the most expensive region
Some 57,212 acres of agricultural land were sold nationally last year, which represented a decrease of 8.9% on 2023
www.irishtimes.com
October 31, 2025 at 2:27 PM
“Cost of agricultural land rises 10% with Dublin most expensive”
Dublin median price/acre €24,125 (so €57,900 /hectare)
1 hectare can fit 35-50 new homes at site price ≈ €80,000/home
Hence windfall profits from re-zoning agricultural land to residential land www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
Dublin median price/acre €24,125 (so €57,900 /hectare)
1 hectare can fit 35-50 new homes at site price ≈ €80,000/home
Hence windfall profits from re-zoning agricultural land to residential land www.irishtimes.com/business/202...
Reposted by Michael Taft
New substack: the government could pay a heavy cost for increasing military spending: chrisdillow.substack.com/p/some-costs...
Some costs of remilitarization
Raising military spending is economically and politically damaging
chrisdillow.substack.com
October 29, 2025 at 9:37 AM
New substack: the government could pay a heavy cost for increasing military spending: chrisdillow.substack.com/p/some-costs...
The first electoral test for progressives in the Connolly Coalition will be the Galway West by-election. A voter-transfer pact is essential to maximising support and the minimum needed to show that progressives are serious about building an alternative to the current Government.
October 28, 2025 at 10:41 AM
The first electoral test for progressives in the Connolly Coalition will be the Galway West by-election. A voter-transfer pact is essential to maximising support and the minimum needed to show that progressives are serious about building an alternative to the current Government.
50% of households find it difficult making ends meet. Temporary measures won’t solve this. We need to promote wages and incomes, reshape market prices, and provide free public services. Affordability is one of the foundations of an alternative government: tinyurl.com/wzj3usnf
The Affordability Deficit
We have an affordability deficit. Even with low unemployment, solid job creation, relatively low inflation and reasonable economic growth, nearly half of households are finding it difficult making…
tinyurl.com
October 21, 2025 at 7:03 PM
50% of households find it difficult making ends meet. Temporary measures won’t solve this. We need to promote wages and incomes, reshape market prices, and provide free public services. Affordability is one of the foundations of an alternative government: tinyurl.com/wzj3usnf
50% of households find it difficult making ends meet. Temporary measures won’t solve this. We need to promote wages and incomes, reshape market prices, and provide free public services. Affordability is one of the foundations of an alternative government. tinyurl.com/wzj3usnf
The Affordability Deficit
We have an affordability deficit. Even with low unemployment, solid job creation, relatively low inflation and reasonable economic growth, nearly half of households are finding it difficult making…
tinyurl.com
October 21, 2025 at 9:54 AM
50% of households find it difficult making ends meet. Temporary measures won’t solve this. We need to promote wages and incomes, reshape market prices, and provide free public services. Affordability is one of the foundations of an alternative government. tinyurl.com/wzj3usnf
Hospitality VAT cut was farcical. But tax cuts for property developers were insidious. Developers’ lobby told the Government – give us more subsidy or we won’t help meet your housing targets. And the Government blinked. Because it has no strategy: tinyurl.com/bdfc9kwd
Profits and Threats in the Irish Housing Market
While the VAT cut on food services was farcical, the tax cuts for property developers was insidious. It was framed as necessary measures to increase apartment construction viability. But the …
tinyurl.com
October 13, 2025 at 7:09 PM
Hospitality VAT cut was farcical. But tax cuts for property developers were insidious. Developers’ lobby told the Government – give us more subsidy or we won’t help meet your housing targets. And the Government blinked. Because it has no strategy: tinyurl.com/bdfc9kwd
Hospitality VAT cut was farcical. Tax cuts for property developers, however, were insidious. Developers’ lobby told the Government – give us more subsidy or we won’t help meet your housing targets. And the Government blinked. Because it has no strategy: tinyurl.com/bdfc9kwd
Profits and Threats in the Irish Housing Market
While the VAT cut on food services was farcical, the tax cuts for property developers was insidious. It was framed as necessary measures to increase apartment construction viability. But the …
tinyurl.com
October 13, 2025 at 10:33 AM
Hospitality VAT cut was farcical. Tax cuts for property developers, however, were insidious. Developers’ lobby told the Government – give us more subsidy or we won’t help meet your housing targets. And the Government blinked. Because it has no strategy: tinyurl.com/bdfc9kwd
Reposted by Michael Taft
📻 I’ll be speaking about #housing in #Budget2026 tonight on @rteradio1.bsky.social @latedebaterte.bsky.social 10-11pm #SpeirGorm
October 7, 2025 at 6:25 PM
📻 I’ll be speaking about #housing in #Budget2026 tonight on @rteradio1.bsky.social @latedebaterte.bsky.social 10-11pm #SpeirGorm
Probably the most succinct (and correct) description of Budget 2026. Note: it is not so much 'pro-business' as 'pro-business owner'. It is highly debatable whether tax cuts will boost business productivity. And also note the 'austerity' headline above.
October 5, 2025 at 1:42 PM
Probably the most succinct (and correct) description of Budget 2026. Note: it is not so much 'pro-business' as 'pro-business owner'. It is highly debatable whether tax cuts will boost business productivity. And also note the 'austerity' headline above.
There is always a lot of noise and numbers in the run-up to the budget. Here are a few facts that might help you survive the tsunami of assertions and assumptions on Tuesday: spending, poverty, profits, VAT cuts, multi-national bail-outs and much more: tinyurl.com/2ze7kcxh
Some Facts to Help You Survive the Budget
There is always a lot of noise and numbers in the run-up to the budget. Here are a few facts that might help you wade through this forest of assertions, assumptions and anecdotes. 1. &nb…
tinyurl.com
October 3, 2025 at 9:38 AM
There is always a lot of noise and numbers in the run-up to the budget. Here are a few facts that might help you survive the tsunami of assertions and assumptions on Tuesday: spending, poverty, profits, VAT cuts, multi-national bail-outs and much more: tinyurl.com/2ze7kcxh
Reposted by Michael Taft
If James Browne wants to get ‘radical’ about housing, here are five things he must do www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025...
Lorcan Sirr: The five things Ireland must do to help fix housing
Introduce a residency requirement, change the legal definition of ‘rent’ and start counting bed spaces
www.irishtimes.com
October 2, 2025 at 7:56 AM
If James Browne wants to get ‘radical’ about housing, here are five things he must do www.irishtimes.com/opinion/2025...
Notes on the Front is moving. You can now find it at notesonthefront.org . Hope to see you there.
Notes on the Front
Commentary on Irish Political Economy by Michael Taft, researcher for SIPTU
notesonthefront.org
September 30, 2025 at 8:46 AM
Notes on the Front is moving. You can now find it at notesonthefront.org . Hope to see you there.
Reposted by Michael Taft
“Pay rises for construction workers are solution to housing crisis, not the problem, says union”
www.independent.ie/irish-news/p...
www.independent.ie/irish-news/p...
Pay rises for construction workers are solution to housing crisis, not the problem, says union
Pay rises are the solution to the housing crisis and not a problem, a union has claimed.
www.independent.ie
September 27, 2025 at 9:19 AM
“Pay rises for construction workers are solution to housing crisis, not the problem, says union”
www.independent.ie/irish-news/p...
www.independent.ie/irish-news/p...
Reposted by Michael Taft
The war in Ukraine has been very good for the stock prices of European arms makers. From Bloomberg:
September 25, 2025 at 12:52 PM
The war in Ukraine has been very good for the stock prices of European arms makers. From Bloomberg:
Reposted by Michael Taft
It's so strange to me how the absolutely core question at the heart of politics - "what kind of society do we want to live in?" - is so absent from discussion, either assumed settled or reduced to meaningless generalities.
September 22, 2025 at 8:20 AM
It's so strange to me how the absolutely core question at the heart of politics - "what kind of society do we want to live in?" - is so absent from discussion, either assumed settled or reduced to meaningless generalities.
Reposted by Michael Taft
The White House’s furious response to the decision by Norway’s SWF to divest from Caterpillar over its support for Israeli war crimes tells us something important: divestment works.
And it works even more effectively in a democratic financial system.
graceblakeley.substack.com/p/divestment...
And it works even more effectively in a democratic financial system.
graceblakeley.substack.com/p/divestment...
Divestment Works.
When finance is accountable to the people, elites get scared.
graceblakeley.substack.com
September 10, 2025 at 11:25 AM
The White House’s furious response to the decision by Norway’s SWF to divest from Caterpillar over its support for Israeli war crimes tells us something important: divestment works.
And it works even more effectively in a democratic financial system.
graceblakeley.substack.com/p/divestment...
And it works even more effectively in a democratic financial system.
graceblakeley.substack.com/p/divestment...
The Covid and cost-of-living crises have been good for profits. Since 2019, profits in the domestic sector (basically SMEs) increased by 72%. Wages increased by 40%. In the last year, profits grew by 10%. For wages it was 6%. Yet owners demand more tax breaks and subsidies.
August 29, 2025 at 9:10 AM
The Covid and cost-of-living crises have been good for profits. Since 2019, profits in the domestic sector (basically SMEs) increased by 72%. Wages increased by 40%. In the last year, profits grew by 10%. For wages it was 6%. Yet owners demand more tax breaks and subsidies.
It is claimed that cutting VAT (cost: €700 million) will help restaurants and coffee shops. Yet, less than 20% of that tax cut will benefit those businesses. 60% will go to fast-food outlets and meals in hotels. This is highly wasteful and inefficient: tinyurl.com/mrkamxrh
Wasteful Spending, Irrational Policy
In order to assist restaurants, cafes and coffee shops, the Government intends to cut VAT in the upcoming budget at a cost of nearly €700 million. There’s one problem: restaurants, cafes and coffee sh...
tinyurl.com
August 28, 2025 at 6:57 PM
It is claimed that cutting VAT (cost: €700 million) will help restaurants and coffee shops. Yet, less than 20% of that tax cut will benefit those businesses. 60% will go to fast-food outlets and meals in hotels. This is highly wasteful and inefficient: tinyurl.com/mrkamxrh
It is claimed that cutting VAT (cost: €700 million) will help restaurants and coffee shops. Yet, less than 20% of that tax cut will benefit those businesses. 60% will go to fast-food outlets and meals in hotels. This is highly wasteful and inefficient. tinyurl.com/mrkamxrh
Wasteful Spending, Irrational Policy
In order to assist restaurants, cafes and coffee shops, the Government intends to cut VAT in the upcoming budget at a cost of nearly €700 million. There’s one problem: restaurants, cafes and coffee sh...
tinyurl.com
August 28, 2025 at 9:31 AM
It is claimed that cutting VAT (cost: €700 million) will help restaurants and coffee shops. Yet, less than 20% of that tax cut will benefit those businesses. 60% will go to fast-food outlets and meals in hotels. This is highly wasteful and inefficient. tinyurl.com/mrkamxrh
Instead of cutting taxes by €1.5 billion we should be raising tax revenue by €1.5 billion. A difficult sell, but it is cynical to claim we can support living standards, reduce poverty and promote a strong social state through a tax-cutting budget. tinyurl.com/59bjdua2
Unpackaging Tax Cuts
In the debate over the ‘tax package’ in the upcoming budget there is an assumption that the tax base should be further reduced, overall tax revenue should be cut, that hollowing out our tax base makes...
tinyurl.com
August 12, 2025 at 9:58 AM
Instead of cutting taxes by €1.5 billion we should be raising tax revenue by €1.5 billion. A difficult sell, but it is cynical to claim we can support living standards, reduce poverty and promote a strong social state through a tax-cutting budget. tinyurl.com/59bjdua2
Over the last 5 years, the nuclear-armed countries spent over $400 billion on their nuclear arsenals. For half that amount we could end global hunger. The EU should take the global lead and declare Europe to be a nuclear-weapon-free zone. Source: ICAN
August 10, 2025 at 10:31 AM
Over the last 5 years, the nuclear-armed countries spent over $400 billion on their nuclear arsenals. For half that amount we could end global hunger. The EU should take the global lead and declare Europe to be a nuclear-weapon-free zone. Source: ICAN
Reposted by Michael Taft
Huge win for workers!🥳
August 7, 2025 at 3:13 PM
Huge win for workers!🥳
Ireland has the fewest number of labour inspectors in the EU, bar Malta. A weak and under-resourced labour inspectorate puts employees at risk, allows low-road employers to undermine good businesses, and weakens consumer safety. Everyone loses. Source: ILO
August 7, 2025 at 1:14 PM
Ireland has the fewest number of labour inspectors in the EU, bar Malta. A weak and under-resourced labour inspectorate puts employees at risk, allows low-road employers to undermine good businesses, and weakens consumer safety. Everyone loses. Source: ILO
The Government justifies a number of policies – postponing the Living Wage, cutting VAT – on the basis that small businesses are under pressure. Yet the Government publishes survey data showing SME profitability has never been higher. So what's going on? tinyurl.com/3zrcrjhk
The Small Business Excuse
A number of measures have been justified on the basis of their impact on small business. Postponing the Living Wage – impact on small business. Postponing the extension of statutory sick pay – impact ...
tinyurl.com
August 5, 2025 at 10:21 AM
The Government justifies a number of policies – postponing the Living Wage, cutting VAT – on the basis that small businesses are under pressure. Yet the Government publishes survey data showing SME profitability has never been higher. So what's going on? tinyurl.com/3zrcrjhk