Why is Ireland on Strike?

<p>Why is Ireland on strike — and is the taxpayer getting value for money?</p><p>This week on The Irish Question, Nick Delehanty, Elaine Mullally and Paul Treyvaud debate public-sector pay, trade unions, council performance and whether better pay should come with greater accountability.</p><p>We also discuss the confrontation with Ray D’Arcy, politicians’ salaries, court backlogs, RTÉ funding, social housing and the pressures on Ireland’s welfare state. Brendan Courtney’s comments spark a debate about double standards, while Brian Dowling and Arthur’s documentary raises questions about public scrutiny.</p><p>Plus: Elaine’s new eyebrows, the hosts’ Instagram follower stats — and Paul’s popularity with older women!</p><p>TIMESTAMPS<br>00:00 Welcome to The Irish Question<br>00:56 Public-sector strikes: pay demands and council performance<br>05:13 Trade unions, spending priorities and the taxpayer<br>08:49 The pay dispute: inflation and frontline workers<br>14:43 Government waste, benchmarking and spending transparency<br>17:25 The future of unions and working from home during strikes<br>19:58 Ray D’Arcy: questioning public figures or harassment?<br>25:51 Should politicians be paid more?<br>29:49 Elaine’s new eyebrows!<br>31:05 Instagram follower stats: who’s watching each host?<br>31:53 Court delays, overcrowded prisons and struggling services<br>36:21 Patrick O’Donovan, the culture card and RTÉ funding<br>37:52 The children’s hospital and political accountability<br>39:08 Ben Scallan, Gript and independent journalism<br>41:36 Social housing: who should qualify?<br>44:27 Welfare benefits and the incentive to work<br>47:56 Britain, France and Ireland’s reliance on corporation tax<br>51:09 Brendan Courtney’s comments and the double-standards debate<br>53:08 What is misandry? The Trinity College discussion<br>55:27 Brian Dowling and Arthur: parenting, surrogacy and public scrutiny<br>1:00:44 Global instability and emergency preparedness<br>1:03:38 Final thoughts and thanks to our listeners</p><p>Subscribe, share the episode and tell us what you think: should public-sector pay increases be linked to performance?</p><p>#TheIrishQuestion #IrishPolitics #PublicSector #Ireland</p>