Bord Snip: How to Manage Public Spending episode artwork

EPISODE · May 28, 2026 · 1H 22M

Bord Snip: How to Manage Public Spending

from Memo to File

Economist Colm McCarthy discusses infrastructure delivery, fiscal prudence, populism, accountability and more.McCarthy was a member of the Expenditure Review Committee, often referred to as An Bord Snip, which was an advisory group established during a period of economic downturn in the 1980s to make recommendations to the the Irish government on cuts to state spending.Colm later chaired the Special Group on Public Service Numbers and Expenditure Programmes, more commonly known as An Bord Snip Nua, which was a similar government advisory committee established following the financial crash in 2008.Clip of former Taoiseach Charles Haughey's "living beyond our means" address courtesy of RTE Archives.Further Reading:https://researchrepository.ucd.ie/entities/publication/3999d60c-439b-469e-89ec-44f347ba3bf2https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/bord-snip-nua-shows-government-is-getting-serious-1.916649https://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0716/119603-economy1/https://www.rte.ie/news/2009/0904/121438-economy/https://www.independent.ie/business/irish-business/no-hostage-to-fortune/a/150204933.htmlhttps://www.rte.ie/news/analysis-and-comment/2017/1229/929051-state-papers-part-two/#:~:text=20.%20The%20first%20%22Bord%20Snip%22%C2%A0decides%20what%20to%20cut

Episode metadata supplied by the publisher feed · Published May 28, 2026

Embed this episode

Ready to play

Bord Snip: How to Manage Public Spending

0:00 1:22:51

No transcript for this episode yet

We transcribe on demand. Request one and we'll notify you when it's ready — usually under 10 minutes.

No similar episodes found.

No similar podcasts found.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long is this episode of Memo to File?

This episode is 1 hour and 22 minutes long.

When was this Memo to File episode published?

This episode was published on May 28, 2026.

Can I download this Memo to File episode?

Yes. Use the download control on the episode player to save the publisher-provided media file.
URL copied to clipboard!