High Noon, Low Noon

Last Year 

Michael Noonan the Minister of Finance said

Ireland is emerging from its economic crisis, Finance Minister Michael Noonan has declared in this opening remarks of the Budget 2013.

“the economy could soar like a “rocket” next year as new figures showed that the country’s goods-trade surplus jumped 20%  in January compared to the same month last year”.

2013

The Irish economy shrank in the first three months of the year, pushing the country back into recession, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office.

 

Reilly Solves Hospital Bed Problem

As always around this time of year, the nation suffers an acute shortage of hospital beds.
Minister Reilly, who loves pulling, stokes, and hates being accused of dodgy deals, has for once come up with a jaw dropping solution, which will insure hospital beds are readily available.
A program of replacing hospital beds with hammocks will begin early next year and will more than double their capacity for patients despite the crippling effects this will have on overstretched staff.
Reilly was disappointed that the HSE were themselves unable to come up with this simple initiative. He did thank the consultancy firm known as the friends of Reilly for their work in this area.
The first thousand hammocks are to be installed in January.

Reilly does not expect fallout from the scheme.