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A STRANGE CONTRADICTION revealed itself in a major research project carried out by the AA before Christmas.
The results of the survey of 26,000 Irish people show that there is optimism about the economy generally next year while individuals still believe their personal situations will get worse.
According to the data, 39.5 per cent of respondents said that they felt that Ireland’s economy would improve, even if only slightly, in 2014. Only 17 per cent felt it would get worse.
On their own situations though, people were more pessimistic.
Only 16.9 per cent of people believed that their personal finances would get better while 37.7 per cent said that they would be worse.
There was also a divide apparent between those who live in the capital and citizens residing outside of Dublin.
Dubliners were more upbeat on what could happen next year with 44.4 per cent believing the Irish economy would improve with only 14.3 per cent thinking it would get worse.
However, again, they were only slightly more optimistic than the rest of the country when it comes to their own circumstance; 17.8 per cent felt things would improve for them where 37.9 per cent felt they would worsen.
“The economy is the aggregate of all of us so this does seem to be a contradiction,” explained director of consumer affairs at the AA, Conor Faughnan. “The main reason for this appears to be Property Tax – lots of people said that they would face this major additional bill while their incomes stayed the same.”
Many respondents also mentioned rising utility bills and health insurance costs.
The AA received more than 2,000 individual comments and statements from the people who answered the questions.
“The frustration and stress that people are feeling is palpable,” added Faughan.
The survey was carried out in mid-November as part of the AA Consumer Panel.
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2014 will see:
1. the introduction of a water tax
2. The “final” austerity budget with €2 billion in cuts/tax increases to be introduced in 2015
Not surprised that people feel they will personally worse off – I do.
Unless we have growth and I mean real growth of 3% in 2014/15 and 2016 we will see continued cuts in the budgets.
All predictions are based on growth and if that doesn’t happen then we can only look forward to more austerity budgets.
Isn’t it amazing how the whole 17% of the country who think things will get worse are coincidentally commenters on the Journal?
If agree with all of that apart from the word “final”
Simply put.
The Irish economy is going to “improve” by sucking every last cent and every last ounce of life out of the Irish people.
Kevin, that’s because the 17% are the most well-informed among us.
More bluff sold to the struggling working irish citizen by the political and ruling class
It’s 2013, not 1913. Political ruling class! Seriously, that’s why you lefties haven’t a chance. Well you sit in your arse and be subserviant if you want. Leave the rest of us get on with recovery…
Lol! Thanks O’Reilly, I really needed a good laugh this morning.
O’Reilly. Just explain why a recovery can happen whilst the Government hit us with more and more taxes and cuts. Working class people are taking home far less in wages and are expected to hand out more to subsidise someone else’s debt. Austerity isn’t going away anytime soon for the less well off. As long as our great leaders are unable to negotiate a massive write off in bank debt, we shall only get poorer. Sure there are more jobs being created and less people are emigrating, but those jobs are mostly in low paid industries which are being heavily subsidised in the first place. As long as we continue to carry illegal gambling debts, it’s impossible for the people at the bottom.
Rodrigo, how about you explain why the economy IS recovering while implementing austerity measures? And those austerity measures and disciplines will continue to aid recovery…
Not for the less well off O’Reilly.
How can you say the less well off won’t benefit? A stronger economy – particularly the domestic economy means more revenue for government. That gives the Gov more choices. If its Celtic tiger days you’re looking for, forget it. But everybody benefits in one way or another in a recovering economy…
O’Reilly, if you weren’t just a government mouth piece you may have the intellect to see that this ‘recovery’ is focused on very narrow sector.
The main ‘recovery’ is in the multinational sector which won’t benefit the economy as they have methods of not paying taxes or very low levels anyway, the domestic economy is flat.
Secondly the improving employment figures is down to many back to work schemes, back to education and work activation schemes. All major job announcements get at least 3 goes in the newspaper, to give the impression it’s new announcements every time.
It’s all spin spin spin, lies upon lies.
Eric, if you didn’t have such a narrow intellect you’d understand that recovery has to start somewhere. The multinationals, exports and now, most importantly the domestic economy on the rise. Why so many seem hell bent on trying to prove the economy isn’t improving is beyond me. The same naysayers who were badly let down when they didn’t get their early emergency budgets or second bailout. That was spin and lies and didn’t materialise. And here we are, with billions on deposit and consumer confidence. Ya must be distraught at the thought of it Eric…
Rodrigo- you should bring a lawsuit about those “illegal gambling debts”. You’d be a national hero.
OReilly there is absolutely no evidence that austerity has or is aiding recovery – in fact a number of reports from the IMF, EU and OECD have highlighted that Austerity has in fact slowed recovery. Whether or not austerity is/was necessary for fiscal correction is a totally separate argument but not debatable that the downside was/is slowing growth!!!
Christmas spending 2013 down on 2012 – domestic economy recovering??
O’Reilly, can you analyze anything? this multinational recovery is mainly down to them sending profits thru ireland to avoid taxes, nothing is actually being created or sold, Exports are down.
Many of these jobsbridge schemes are laughable and actually remove properly paid jobs, how else can you explain internships in cleaning, deli counter and toll booth operators. This crazy government paying people 50 above dole so greedy employers can con us by getting free labour.
If this gov actually gets things right of will be delighted, no sign of that happening now thou, and to think otherwise shows a complete lack of independent analysis.
BMJF – domestic economy showed growth in November. A slow Christmas quickly followed by record growth since 2008 in the sales. Savvy shoppers is all. So yes, despite the austerity budgets, the economy is growing. Now what about those who screamed you can’t grow while implementing austerity?
Sure as long as your able to get up in the morning and have your health is that all that matters in the greater scheme of things
‘Ah sure it’s grand, let them walk all over us’
Shure as long as we don’t pay our mortgage we’ll never get our houses taken from us as it’s Ireland
When YOU have a mortgage, have a house, have a home and then a family living in it and you lose your job then please please come back to us all on the journal and ask for your family’s home to be repossessed
Not surprised. The young generation at the moment will be d whipping boys & girls for subsequent governments, to pay off our natinal debt created by our Bankers and 1 in particular whose case is scheduled for hearing in 2014. The untold suffering this person has caused for both Young and Old (inc. his employees) makes him a Traitor to this state and he should be charged with Treason. The result of his actions are far reaching in Irish Society unbeknown to Irish Society at the moment. For legal reasons and to ensure he gets his comeupance and Irish citizens get justice, he shud not be named! No, he’s not Seanie. He’s Sean O. ? Hope ur reading this Sean O.
I see ONE thumb down. Hopefully that’s u Sean O. Glad u read comment?
The 2nd thump down is the bag carrier.
Most folks I know are optimistic about their own lives, especially now that the economy is improving.
And the outing of a very public married figure
*My prediction for 2014
Come on Susanna! You can’t leave us like this. We want more.
But the fools, the fools, the fools. We have been left with foreign debts and once Ireland holds these debts, Irish workers will never get a piece.
We live in a society (or should) not an economy
Got it Suzanna. Phoenix Park ??? Y/N ?
Suzanna go on, go on, go on.
The Best President we ever had!
Affectionately known as Michael O’Higgini. GO ON SUZANNA LETS HAVE U.
You sound upset James
Still need Repossessions to happen ASAP
And why do you need reposessions to happen? Why is that so important to you? Are you a banker?
Because they are costing me money as I can’t find a decent house to buy
Dave ,funny thing you stated on a different article that you have no intention of buying a house here and will be leaving with your family in a couple of years.So you changed your mind?
I would change my mind of prices came down to what they should be. People should not be living for free for 4-5 years when stock restriction is making prices go up. If prices remain going higher I’m out of here Norman.
Can you back up that comment of 4/5 years free with documented fact?
Can you back up your counter-argument that they are not? Are you paying your mortgage? Why do you seem to be sticking up for people who rightly should have their houses taken off them as they are not paying for them?
Yes Dave. Repossesions will happen. Property in Dublin up 13.2pc in 2013. Could plummet if repossessions kick in. Be careful when assessing your property value for LPT.
Sorry Rodrigo. Wish I could be more specific but the journal will take it down. A clue, small in statue
Got it!
What time you there til today & we’ll send the bailiffs around
Dave sticking up for noone, but I asked you to back up your comment with fact but you seem either unwilling or unable to do.
DaveMac perhaps some of the mortgage defaulters were miss-sold mortgage with little or no stress testing and duped by Professionals they trusted into taking up mortgages they were never likely to afford in the long term!! If the lending can be proven to be reckless then it should be a case of “let the lender beware”
Come on Sue. Rod n myself are awaiting ur addendum. “Small in Statue”. Very cryptic ? ELFS shit, Xmas has gone. FAIRYS, The Land of the Little People. Darby O’Gill
Then let the government and their banking masters bring in legislation that allows for instant bankruptcy and a clean slate for their victims.
It is probably even too late for that though.
5-6 years of torment at the hands of heinous bully boy financial criminal organisations telling you to starve your kids in order to pay for their criminal gambling debts and criminal gambling debts of others.
Like the Magdelanes and the Catholic Church victims.
The Irish government will act too late with too little.
The Irish government(s) are just puppets for corrupt and criminal bankers and other corrupt and criminal powerful organisations.
@ DaveMac
The Irish Government(s) protected the church and their heinous sick crimes.
Now the Irish government(s) protect the banks and their heinous sick crimes.
You can always count on the Irish government(s) to help out
(but only if it’s at the cost of it’s people)
These people walked into banks on their own free will to ask for loans for houses. The ones who refuse to pay it back should have their property repossessed and should just rent.
Suzanne should ur comment not read – Small i StatuRe ?
Margaret read below. Ur quick n d uptake ?
Drummer u ave to wear the “Green Jersey” !
They are not refusing to pay it back Dave.
The fact is that they don’t have the money at this time, and the corrupt and criminal bankers (who let us not forget bust the country for an eternity) are not prepared to wait for their money in-spite of the fact it was the banks who intentionally got their stress testing and solvency levels wrong in their frenzy of self serving criminal greed.
BMJF that’s the way it should be. The frenzy would never have happened if the lenders were stuck with a non performing property should they lend to the wrong people. The debt should be on the property only. The houses would be repossessed a lot faster if the borrorers could walk away and start again. Credit is ruined for a time but no debt noose. That’s how it is in the US.
No documentation needed. Very few repossessions since 2007. Dats 6 yrs. Allow 1.5 yrs for build up of arrears n legal process. Legal actions have already been deferred in many cases b cas of Gov. Influence after bank bailout. The State now owns most banks. Many people are not paying a cent. Without jobs and a sufficient income they are unable to pay a mortgage. Some are able to pay, but with negative equity, they would be pouring money into an emoty hole esp. down the country where property wont increase in price -no demand and too much property available. Repo’s are inevitable. The Banks /Gov. will not let this situation continue. Sorry for the Bad News.
DaveMac you’ve seemed to have signed in on your James Delany twitter account by mistake.
“The Banks /Gov. will not let this situation continue”
Ha Ha Ha
The Dithering fools.
They’re too busy covering each other’s arses these days.
Bring it on James/Dave.
The Banks /Gov can’t repo a 1000 homes let alone the 150,000 or so that are currently in arrears.
Let’s just see the b@lls that they make of that one.
The greedy, sniveling, dithering, sycophantic vermin.
Couldn’t agree more have a deposit there the past 3 years just waiting on something thats a decent price in a nice area.If you can’t afford too pay your mortgage then you don’t deserve that house!!!
Roll on the repos.
People have no one to blame but themselves you shouldn’t buy something if you can’t afford it
The reposing we need is the money given to the bond holders , even the Europeans are coming around to that way of thinking
“The results of the survey of 26,000 Irish people show that there is optimism about the economy generally next year while individuals still believe their personal situations will get worse.”
This is what happens with successful spin.
Mal…… To explain – people dont give a DIRECT shit about the growth of the economy because they wont benefit from E Growth. They are only concerned about making ends meet and paying their bills and rightly so. Spin re growth of economy will not make a difference to their pay pack.
It isn’t an odd contradiction – we live in a SOCIETY not an ECONOMY!! Maybe the mejja will wake up some day & realize that
They’d have to recognize that we’re people and not “consumers” to do that.
People who spend fortunes on xmas and queue for sales at 3am and then say they’ll be worse off in 2014 have only themselves to blame. The economy thrives on it though. Cop on.
“The main reason for this appears to be Property Tax – lots of people said that they would face this major additional bill while their incomes stayed the same.” Interesting indeed.
Since it’s first emergence, this citizen has consistently held the view that LPT is an unjust,unfair,immoral and anti-family multiple taxation.
I am re-assured to note that many thousands of others seem to feel the same way. That thirty seven percent plus of citizens, in the cohort surveyed, believed they will be worse off in 2014 is entirely unsurprising.
Apart from anything else, with 140,000 mortgages still in deep difficulty how could people possibly feel otherwise.
An article in todays Indo indicated the Brian Hayes seems to be having some road to Damascus thoughts in relation to USC and LPT.
In my estimation USC = Poll Tax and LPT = Poleaxe Tax.
At least with the former you were taxed on income. With the latter, low and middle income family home purchasers/owners have been thrown to wolves in the Wild West Irish “Property” market which is now the determinant of how much extra multiple taxation the government will be looking to try and squeeze from our near terminally emaciated wallets and purses into the future.
That Brian is beginning to see through the Hayes is a good thing. We, the citizens who make up our economy, have seen through the Hayes a long time ago.
Reform of LPT should be high up there for attention during the life of Brian.
At the very least LPT should not be applied to principal primary residences i.e. family homes.
ETA Damascus = 2016.
We will fight with the LPT return form in one hand and the ballot paper in the other.
Some of the comments here are just ridiculous. Moaning because you can’t find nice, well priced houses? Can you here yourselves lads? Some people don’t have a roof over the head or food on their tables to speak of and you think you have problems? I live in London (UK) at the moment and my rent is £900 pcm for a one bedroom flat, average wages are £1,050, childcare is a minimum of £1,000 a month… Oh, and a “cheap” starter home? Well that will cost you a minimum of £275,000 upwards and that would be in a crap area! Think you’ve got it tough? Try walking a mile in the shoes of the people you’re wishing reposession on dears.
As for the sheeple who believe the economy is recovering, turn off the bullshit news reports, use your trashy papers to wipe your backsides with and actually look around you. Young people are being told to leave Ireland to seek work for crying out loud! Australia was one of the only countries to avoid recession. How? Simple, they speculated to accumulate and increased the minimum wage. Austerity cuts didn’t even come into it.
This sack full of arse-holes called the government are against taxes–for corporations. They keep the corporate tax rates low and raise our taxes weekly. They subsidize corporations with the money they collect from us.
They keep saying “The corporations are job creators”.
Total bullshite. Where are the fecking jobs? There are none–none of any consequence. None that you can live on, unless you’re a CEO and get tax-free income.
It is scandalous. It is immoral. Our backs are being broken under the wheel of corporate servitude.
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