Indeed it does. Which is why FG's slogan around "keeping the recovery going" was so ill advised. There is a huge cohort of people who do not understand how bad things were with the Troika. The mainstream parties ran such a bad campaign. Naive almost. Groups such as Sinn Fein and AAA are soft targets if you go after them properly. For example, remember their trips to Greece and the arguments for "doing what the Greeks did". They're no different to the wannabe beauty queen who craves world peace, other than the fact that they don't even want the tiara!
I fundamentally disagree. In a country like ours that doesn't have class structures like (say) the UK and which provides excellent State education, 99 times out of 100 hard work will get you ahead. I'd also be interested to hear your definition of "getting on". How are Warren Buffett and Chuck Feeney relevant? The standard of living in Ireland is excellent relative to other 1st world countries. Someone on €50k a year has a great standard of living. In London, they wouldn't. There will always be hard luck stories, but in the main you get out of life what you put in.
Both Warren Buffet and Chuck Feeney have stated that luck was a major factor in their accumulation of significant wealth. Once you get there money makes money. As regards class structures, we still have the old school tie system, live and kicking. It is cheaper to live in Berlin or Madrid as it is to live in Dublin.
Luck with regard to becoming billionaires!
There is far less luck involved where someone achieves a comfortable middle-class standard of living.
One of the claims in this thread's title is completely untrue.
Shareholders in the AIB, Bank of Ireland, and Anglo Irish bank lost ALL their investment.
It is amazing how many people I talk to who don't know this and don't believe me when I tell them.
You are making a lot of assumptions. For example, how would you rate the chances of someone coming from a dysfunctional lower class family making it to a comfortable middle class standard of living.
Far greater than in the UK or the US. And with our excellent education system, that person would have a good chance of escaping their circumstances.
You are making a lot of assumptions. For example, how would you rate the chances of someone coming from a dysfunctional lower class family making it to a comfortable middle class standard of living.
For example, how would you rate the chances of someone coming from a dysfunctional lower class family making it to a comfortable middle class standard of living.
This is no longer the case. Many students now leave second level without a good level of functional literacy or numeracy.
One of the claims in this thread's title is completely untrue.
Shareholders in the AIB, Bank of Ireland, and Anglo Irish bank lost ALL their investment.
It is amazing how many people I talk to who don't know this and don't believe me when I tell them.
Far greater than in the UK or the US. And with our excellent education system, that person would have a good chance of escaping their circumstances.
I am not intending to be smart here but I would not rate the chances of someone coming from a dysfunctional middle or upper class family making it to a comfortable middle class standard of living either. There are dysfunctional families in every category of society and what can a Government do about it
I agree to an extent but on average it is pretty good. Having had children that finished 3rd level in the recent past I have to say that the opportunity is there for all to go to 3rd level if they want to. From what I heard from my own family and other families incl social welfare families it was a level enough playing field if you want to get on. Not everyone wants to follow the academic route.
BTW I was unable to avail of 3rd level due to financial reasons in my era.
BTW families are still unable to avail of 3rd level due to financial reasons.
Families don't avail of third level education, individuals do.
If an individual is unable to afford university at 18 what's to stop them working for 4-5 years and saving for University. They could enter at 22 or 23. The opportunity is there.
Wealth equality will never happen and should not be a goal. Equality of opportunity should be the goal and by and large that exists in Ireland.
There's nothing to stop someone with work ethic and a good attitude doing well.
Ireland spends 9.7% on education as oppose to the 13% average in the OECD and despite what you say there is significant socio economic barriers to entry into third level college in this Country. Do some research in this field. Your ascertion that we currently have an excellent education system does not stand up to any scrutiny.
My understanding is that OECD figures use GDP as a basis. Any figures quoted for spending in Ireland that do not use GNP are unreliable due to our exceptional multinational basis.
When the OECD actually ranks Ireland's education system as a whole, not just counting input percentages, we regularly get very good to excellent ratings. I can't post links for some reason but just google, Ireland OECD education ranking.
BTW families are still unable to avail of 3rd level due to financial reasons.
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