Dan O’Brien: Inertia is truly the most powerful force in our political system

Ireland has many strengths, but why can’t our leaders take action on issues before they turn into crises?

Dáil Éireann: the government has failed to anticipate our energy and water crises, and missed an opportunity to reform our flawed judicial system. Picture: Getty

Is Ireland really “the best small country in the world to do business”? This was the explicit ambition of a previous government and in many ways it’s true. This country is one of the best places to do business in the world.

One only need to look at the scale of foreign direct investment in Ireland to see that. Many of the world’s leading companies service swathes of the global market from here. Eye-watering export ...