The Agreement - 25 years on

[Milltown Row2]

With zero hour contracts it's near impossible to truly tell unemployment stats.

The hospitality industry is absolutely crying out for staff here though. Restaurants bars etc can't get staff so there should be less unemployment than there is.

Lots of places like the restaurants went on 3 day weeks so nearly impossible to hire someone and people left the industry and found other work.

[trailer]

The Agreement didn't bring the prosperity that people expected.

How so?

The Southern economy now is 9 times bigger than the 6 county economy.

But how does the northern economy today compare to how it was in the Troubles? How about civic and social life? People go out for evening meals now, I don't remember much of that in the Troubles.

Exactly. The reference point for the northern economy is the northern economy not the southern economy. The difference is night and day with inward investment, tourism etc etc.

It's night and day alright, but incomes here are by far the lowest in the UK, and Mary McAleese said this week that unemployment in Ardoyne was 70% when the GFA was signed and it's 70% today.  If that's anywhere near true then there's still a lot to put right, (and I suppose opens up a can of worms about who is getting off their backside and who isn't!).

Dunno if that 70% figure is accurate, but those areas do have a lot of generational wasters. Ppl who haven't the capacity to get up in the morning and go to a job. A fairly basic task for most of us but impossible for them.

[armaghniac]

In the present employment situation there are probably jobs that you can do in the afternoon.

[LC]

The Agreement didn't bring the prosperity that people expected.

How so?

The Southern economy now is 9 times bigger than the 6 county economy.

But how does the northern economy today compare to how it was in the Troubles? How about civic and social life? People go out for evening meals now, I don't remember much of that in the Troubles.

Exactly. The reference point for the northern economy is the northern economy not the southern economy. The difference is night and day with inward investment, tourism etc etc.

It's night and day alright, but incomes here are by far the lowest in the UK, and Mary McAleese said this week that unemployment in Ardoyne was 70% when the GFA was signed and it's 70% today.  If that's anywhere near true then there's still a lot to put right, (and I suppose opens up a can of worms about who is getting off their backside and who isn't!).

Dunno if that 70% figure is accurate, but those areas do have a lot of generational wasters. Ppl who haven't the capacity to get up in the morning and go to a job. A fairly basic task for most of us but impossible for them.

Re these type of people you grow up and your Daddy is a useless f@@ker but gets free house and every benefit going and gets 1 and possibly 2 foreign holidays a year it is easy to see how it rolls on from one generation to another.  In the media such areas are referred to as 'working class', at times I think the term should be 'work shy' instead.

[Piskin]

RHINOS who would freak if a UI was on the cards as they would be terrified of losing their benefits.

[Rossfan]

Will there be no Social Welfare benefits in the new All Ireland State??

[Piskin]

Will there be no Social Welfare benefits in the new All Ireland State??

Hopefully not for wasters

[Dougal Maguire]

NI currently running at a deficit of £700m, meanwhile Republic running at a surplus of €10 Billion. Makes you think

[imtommygunn]

Big cuts coming too. That'll not do the pro union argument much good.

[sensethetone]

NI currently running at a deficit of £700m, meanwhile Republic running at a surplus of €10 Billion. Makes you think

Heard a guy on Nolan show on Friday saying that some of the 10billion surplus was EU monies that had been made in NI, taxed by UK government and sent to EU when they were still paying in. It needs to be given back.