Letter to Department of Finance

Brian Linehan

First day back at work for all of us.

Most of us are complaining of the cold, suffering the withdrawal symptoms from a blissful Christmas and wishing we were anywhere else but at work today.

However, none of us can appreciate the weight Minister Lenihan carried with him to work today – returning to a job that no one would relish at the moment, in ill health, with the world and his mother knowing about it!

What he has had to go through recently puts everything into perspective and maybe it’s an opportunity for all of us to thank our lucky stars for all the positive things that are in our lives, instead of constantly focussing on the negative.

As I read his statement on-line just now, I wanted him to know that what he is going through at the moment is giving people a lot of food for thought.

As the owner of a small business, I feel reassured and for the first time in a long while, I have hope that we have the potential for a great leader in Mr.Lenihan.

Despite everything he has had to endure both privately and very publically, he is remaining focussed and determined to fight on with a battle he has chosen to lead, in guiding the country through the economic storm.

There is a saying that is getting me through a lot recently, as I work hard with my partner to make sure that our business not only survives, but thrives and our team of gifted people remain intact:-
In times of storm, there are two types of people…….
those who hide behind walls
and those who build windmills……..

I wish the Minister long and healthy life and just know that he will have the opportunity to build loads of very big and powerful windmills in the coming months and years to come.

Best wishes from Cork,

Deirdre Waldron, partner Fuzion Communications

Budget 2010 – The Rewind!

Budget 2010 - Brian Linehan

All as expected really, with the pre-press, various leaks etc all preparing everyone for what pretty much happened.

Happy? – I guess being selfish about it we all examine how it affects us personally and on this occasion there were no direct hits to the ship! If we drink more than we use diesel then we are making money! That was a strange one that seemed to catch everyone by surprise.

Whichever way you look at it a lot of money will be taken from circulation, which will effect everyone both as private individuals and those in business. This has affected pretty much all of us this year already – I wonder in real terms how much less money was in circulation this year than before? It must be a huge figure.

The real budget headline for me was one of ‘Rewind’, the Government trying to take back what it probably gave away too easily in better times. It always amazes me how easy it is to get used to extra money, you seem to automatically adjust your lifestyle and mostly to the extent that you have a ‘new level’ of necessities.

Try taking it back after! Different story altogether.

So whether we think the public service or those on welfare are overpaid or not, this is real people we are talking about who are all waking up this morning contemplating significant financial adjustments. The unions will no doubt huff and puff and end up blowing nothing down, just raise a level of anger and frustration with a lot of people. At the end of the day it will be real people who will be really affected, some worse than others.

Today spare a thought for those who do not have a cushion of excess income and can comfortably take an income hit and as a result will be under serious pressure. Try to forget about all the public v private sector stuff, it does none of us any good, these are all our neighbours.

Rewinding is much tougher than fast forwarding.

Greg Canty is a partner of Fuzion Communications