Right on there! The state has no money. Full stop!

The nurses are NOT well paid for the hours they put in - why don't you go do that back-breaking work if you think it's so marvellous?

What has the Aerport got to do with Aer Lingus. Aer Lingus is a private company I am sure you remember the public sale of 75% of the Government holding, why because at that time Aer Lingus needed money for new aircraft and now that money is been pissed away because of the recession.

@ Noah.Oh but the banks have,and their pals too.Cosy.

The Unions aren't at fault. Unfettered capitalism is and that's what wrecked our economy. And of course you'll disagree and probably sling some sarcastic comment.

lol Butters. Very true as well. They're even being thrown a bone of a mere few billion to try even the playing field. Meanwhile, lets shackle a few 240 aerlingus staff to the dole queue. Its crazy whats happening!

They are very well paid for their hours and qualifications. Simple as.

before we go any further with this. whats the average salary for an average nurse?

We never had unfettered capitalism. If we did we wouldn't be in the state we are in. What we had was some crazy crony state operated by a number of old boy networks and monopolies. Believe me, if we had unfettered capitalism in Ireland we would be much better off today.

I give up so--let the employers sack us all, re-hire some of us on new lower paid barely above social welfare existence rate contracts, ban all the unions who have been on the side lines anyway for the past 20 years of right wing Fiann Fail led coalitions but are therefore in some warped manner responsible for this economic mess, impose property taxes and water charges on us and lets all sign up to be members of Fianna Fail and re-elect them next time round. End of problems so ? great theory there

Don' mind them, what nurses are good at is PR ask anyone who had a relative in hospital for long term care and you see what they do, their army of staff around them work hard. I believe they are also the highest paid nurses in Europe.

Are you out of your head? Reduce taxes. Stimulate the economy. Put money back in the hands of people who can create opportunity. I'm so sick and tired of working in this obese state I might just move elsewhere. It's getting sickening at this stage.

I am with you there but reduce costs and leave income alone, if we have that option.

the only obese drag on this state is the shower in government (Brian Cowen and Mary Harney to name a few) and their bank friends who are getting 50 billion Euro and more in NAMA. to hell so with cabin crew and workers rights. The guys who stimulated opportunity ( developers) financed Fianna Fail to the hilt. Thats the type of b**s*** which has us where we are today

if jobs continue to wallow away like the tide, who will be left to pay taxes to fund social welfare?