The national debt is not surplus to requirements

At a staggering €200 billion, Ireland’s national debt is a significant millstone around the country’s neck. Last week’s announcement that the country is finally able to generate a surplus for 2018 does little to alleviate the heavy burden, either practically or symbolically.

Despite this, the government is right to have produced the €100 million surplus for the year. While the amount seems like a small speck when placed alongside Ireland’s overall mountain of ...