The Truth Will Out

You've got to admit there is some comfort to be had from the knowledge that at least one government body isn't afraid to tell it like it is. I'm referring of course to the ESRI, who have not only had the balls to tell the public sector that they've been outpacing the private sector in pay since the 1990s, but also robustly defended their methodology in the face of much huffing and puffing from David Begg and Jack O'Connor, the ICTU oligarchs.

When the unions and the PC brigade rubbished the ESRI findings of a 25% pay gap everyone thought the economists would just back down and stop rocking the boat. But fair dues to them, they have come right back tonight and said that -using a different methodology - the difference is actually 26%.

How embarrassing for Blair Horan, boss of the Civil Service Union and chief apologist for rampant overspending, who made great play of the 'flawed' methodology used by the ESRI in their first report. He obviously never expected academics of integrity to take up the gauntlet he had thrown at their feet in order to show him up for the self-serving sophist he is, while, at the same time, vindicating their own reputations and the empirical truth of their findings.

I suppose such sloppy and unsustainable attacks by the union bosses on facts they don't agree with is all of a piece with their call for national strike action to forestall budget cuts that don't even exist yet and, knowing Cowen, may never exist.

But it's too late to be blaming the public sector unions for taking on the elected government, when it has been a succession of Irish Governments that handed them this overwhelming power and privilege over many decades of spineless surrender to the vested interests.

The only ray of light in this situation appears to be Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, who, for all his faults, seems to be aware of the awful vista facing the country if the traditional climbdown is performed once again in the face of union intimidation.

However, in this respect, he is truly a 'general without troops', as Fianna Fail are desperately waving the white flag behind his back while Fine Gael eagerly await their chance to drop their trousers and take a shafting from the oligarchs while the rest of us go down the tubes still crying out for "leadership".

It seems the only chance we have is for the Greens to have forced Fianna Fail to embrace electoral reform, including a reduction in TDs. This is the only way to force them and us to return some decent people to the Dail and may also explain why Fine Gael are so anxious for an election - they can see the writing on the wall and know that a reduction in seats will leave their ignoramus set out in the cold, which is why they suddenly want an election under the old rules.

Roll on the Budget, and lets hope the Cabinet live up to the rumours and get drunk enough to have the Dutch Courage to actually take a decision.