Economy is still the battlefield

Ireland's voters have now an expectation of economic success, and anything that the political parties do to dilute that is likely to be punished at the ballot box, writes Political Correspondent Pat Leahy.

We've never had i t so good, have we? Yet a range of economic indicators published recently show some slowing in the rate of economic growth - and consequent jitters in consumer confidence.

Although the country continues to grow more prosperous than ever before and, by and large, Irish people continue to feel optimistic about the future, a slight anxiousness has crept into public sentiment.

At the same time, support for the government, ...