The small survey that I have done on the idea of a new mayor for Dublin does not bode well for John Gormley’s big idea.

• Only one in three support the idea.

Clearly people have different reasons for their opposition.

• Some see it as simply another layer in an already bloated government for the city and
• Others feel the proposed powers are too limited.

I think this scepticism about the idea is entirely justified. It is not that having a directly elected mayor is a bad idea, but if it is to work, the new office must rationalise existing structures to make local government more efficient and more effective in the city. The new elected mayor must have real powers to deliver in areas that matter to voters. Read the full story

As the fault lines are exposed in the eurozone, Europe struggles to come up with a response. The Stability and Growth Pact is now dead. Even in good times, its underlying logic was dubious, but it has been entirely blown asunder by the international recession. Read the full story

After the convulsions early this month, our economic team went ahead with a scheduled trip to consult with the OECD on emerging policy ideas – but with one empty seat!

The OECD undertakes a lot of work comparing and evaluating policy positions in different countries. We got insight on all the major issues that confront the world – the immediate crises: bank