Full coverage: Economy

Future-proofing society means preparing not for a world of many more people, but for one where there may soon be far fewer.

The band might be back together. But bands age. Fingers slow. Voices crack. And reunion tours, no matter how nostalgic, never quite capture the magic of the original.

Now in his 16th budget debate as Sinn Féin’s finance spokesperson, Pearse Doherty outlines ideological differences with the Government on housing, the taxation of large and small businesses, and income redistribution in a cost-of-living crisis.

Ireland is in a bubble, not one related to credit, but to complacency and a misunderstanding of the world as it now is.

Despite strong warnings from the Central Bank, the ESRI and the Fiscal Advisory Council, the government looks set to blow past its own spending rules. Colm McCarthy warns that Ireland risks repeating old mistakes.

Currencies don’t lie. They give a real-time vindication or condemnation for a country’s economic outlook, and the standing of the pound is sending warning signals ahead of November's UK budget.

While the Irish economy continues to thrive, it presents no justification for runaway budget spending and remains exposed to US risks – but still offers a healthier picture than those of its neighbours.

Private equity's push further into the realm of continuation funds increasingly looks like a Ponzi scheme. Matched with US efforts to open PE assets to retail investors, it has the potential for disaster.

The Economist magazine's claim that Ireland is not "truly rich" just reflects how little has been attempted to check if the country was. Beyond the distortion caused by multinationals, there are many metrics from which to build a credible prosperity index.

Ireland's economic performance is masking deeper vulnerabilities such as over-reliance on corporation tax and exposure to global shocks. Now might be time for a Plan B.