Ireland has long suffered from single personality disorder that affects every other working part of society; the "It'll be grand" syndrome.  It is this attitude and perspective that got the country into the trouble that it is in and it will be the attitude that will drive many businesses into liquidation.  The government is only now admitting that it won't be grand and that significant changes are required.  The first of those changes is the replacement of the government figures that lead the country into this current state.  This will take place in approximately March of 2011.  That's step one done.

The government that gets installed afterwards is going to have a huge task ahead of them. They have to clean up the mess of the previous government, make good on their campaign promises, and stay true to their political mantra, whatever that may be.  No government is going to be successful until their attitudes, towards themselves and towards the public, change drastically.  Ireland has the most entitlement-oriented government in Europe.  The prime minister pays himself more than what the President of the United States makes, while at the same time providing opportunity to be the butt of Jay Leno's monologue jokes.  The elected officials of Ireland are easily some of the greediest in Europe, with some collecting up to 3 different pensions upon leaving after having done maybe 10 years of service.  When did the Irish contract this insane sense of entitlement?  As soon as there was no one left to answer to. 

The new government will have a real test to withstand now that the IMF and the British government are supplying bail out packages.  Will the government leaders have an epiphany and self-adjust their incomes and benefits? Or will the IMF and Britain need to step in and "have a word" with the Minister for Finance.  Until the leaders of a country actually hold themselves accountable and responsible for their own actions, the country cannot move forward towards recovery.  If they want to keep as much money in the coffers as they can to pay themselves then it will be the new businesses and the young people of Ireland that will suffer.