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AFTER YESTERDAY’S BUDGET, it might be fair to say that not everyone in Ireland is feeling particularly chipper.
But an experiment by Trinity College Dublin’s school of psychology and Science Gallery has determined the country’s average level of happiness – and it’s pretty high indeed.
Rated on a 0 – 10 scale, the experiment found that Ireland’s happiness measures in at 6.8 on average, making it one of the world’s happiest countries, no less.
How happy?
But what does this happiness depend on? Well, the National Happiness Experiment – which launched on 24 May and was led by researchers Malcolm MacLachlan and Karen Hand – measured the moods of 3,309 participants over the course of six weeks to determine just that.
The men and women were tested by text message in collaboration with Vodafone, receiving and answering text messages that measured their happiness levels.
The results have been published in the book Happy Nation? which launches tonight at Science Gallery.
Some of its more notable findings include:
Interestingly, according to the experiment it doesn’t matter what county we live in – where we live has no significant effect on our sense of happiness.
Speaking about the results, MacLachlan said:
One of the things we hope will come out of this project is an enthusiasm for more research around happiness, an annual national survey, and a task force drawing from all sectors of society to look at how we can make Ireland a happier, more prosperous, and more enjoyable place to live in.
Happy Nation? is on sale now and half of the proceeds will go towards supporting the work of St Vincent de Paul. Here are the authors of the book, Malcolm MacLachlan and Karen Hand, talking about their findings:
https://soundcloud.com/thejournal_ie/happy-nation
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Paying 1500euro for a 2 bed in Naas :(
@Free Online Games:
Seems reasonable enough , depends on the occupancy rate
@Free Online Games: rent apartment/ rent house more expensive than mortgage & some Dublin people move to country cheap. Blame landlord greedy
@Brian Flavin: I’m about 2 months off mortgage approval and will be looking at roughly 660euro monthly repayments on the same place. Can’t wait!
@Free Online Games: best of good luck new house & move in two months time
@Free Online Games:
Well done , best wishes on the new gaff.
@Colonel Grant: Thank you Sir *Salutes Colonel* .
@Brian Flavin: They always have been. The only point they weren’t was during the recession where properties were rented at a loss. That was never sustainable and those losses were always going to be attempted to be recovered. The additional charges were also always going to be added to rent. People didn’t care when they knew the rent couldn’t go up but once they were applied people started complaining.
@Free Online Games: How long have you been there? Do you know what the rent was before you moved in? If you have any contact with previous tenants (e.g. for post) you should ask them and if it was increased by over 4% between tenants, you can take a case to the RTB which will find in your favour and they will owe you the excess rent. I took a similar case to the RTB and got my rent reduced by €300 plus they owed me the excess rent.
@Colonel Grant: “Seems reasonable enough” will you get on up the road its almost a month salary for most couples, hence they are left with feck all to save to get themselves deposit for a house. Its complete madness and its on the way to another crash, landlords will be left with empty places and have to foot the bill for such due to people just jumping ship and emigrating again. Better life elsewhere with cheaper rent… Nobody to blame but the government and themselves….
@Free Online Games: Time to bring in maximum rate per sq metre for rent prices
Its total greed and these accidental landlords crying there being forced out of the market mostly are in full time employment while someone else purchases a house for them and invests in their pension. Your heart would bleed for them.
@Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: if it’s so easy why aren’t you doing it
@Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: 52% tax and repairs etc and risky as some tenements don’t pay. Not worth it.
@ed w: bit like asking why I am not an astronaut. They just sit .don’t even fly the things anymore. So easy . BUT I’AM NOT ONE
@Sandra Fogarty Tormey: the tax experts saw otherwise https://www.taxback.com/blog/tax-and-irish-rental-income-what-you-need-to-know/
@Daithi Ó Raghallaigh: alot of people are still in negative equity and have struggled for years to keep up mortgage payments during tough times. Why not make hay when the sun shines because let’s face it the sun wont shine for long in this country.
Sure phek all be done about it now, the boys are off on their holidaybops… Great bunch of lads, Brexit looming and these lads take a few months off.
Try 12% increase in Kerry
The RPZs are having a “positive” impact on rental inflation alright. Since they were introduced as a temporary measure (since extended of course) rents have galloped along as supply contracted.
@Sean:
Did you read the article?
@Patrick Nolan: your mother was a hamster and your father smells of elderberries.
A bit misleading to suggest the rules have been broken if they don’t check the rules were followed. Maybe a quarter of landlords that stayed in the market did up the property allowing them to raise rent above 4%
Not surprising . No real chance of being hit with penalties
If only there was some measure we could take to immediately decrease demand for rental property until such a time that enough new rentals came on stream…..
Moved out of last house because it was been sold 7 months later was on daft for 464 over the RPZ allowed amount
@Derrick Ó Súilleabháin: did somebody buy it and do it up? Or is what you are saying they left it vacant for 7 months before deciding to rent it after no sale?
@Derrick Ó Súilleabháin: “being” sold not “been” sold. I’m not surprised you bring a hard luck story to this forum since your grammar is obviously not very good innit.
@Craic_a_tower: they did not do it up did sell it pictures on daft are exactly the way we left it and I live near by and pass it every day to work no skips no builder were there
@Sean: I’m sorry that my medical cerified dyslexia offends you . I think you should be more aware of people’s conditions before you try to be smart
Landlords & Builders are bad people.
This what happens when you have a weak government and a poor I love everyone leader
Been saying this for years. Link rent charged to tax levied on landlords. High Rent = High Taxes, Low Rent = Low Taxes. This would put downwards pressure on rents and encourage more Landlords into the market due to better returns.
It works for Employment Income why not Rental Income??
have your say