The aim of this weekly podcast is to make economics easy, uncomplicated and accessible. With the world at a political, technological and financial tipping point, economics has never been so important to all of us and yet, it’s made inaccessible and complicated by so many. I’ve always thought what is complicated is rarely important and what is important is rarely complicated. That will be our motto. Every week we are going to tease out some big economic or political issue facing us, not just here in Ireland but in Europe and further afield. Globalisation has brought us all together. We all face similar challenges whether you live in Dublin, London, Minnesota or Milan. If you would like to enjoy all of our content ad-free and have early access to episodes, subscribe to DMCW+ on Apple Podcast. Want to join our crew? Join at davidmcwilliams.ie/crew (http://davidmcwilliams.ie/crew), where you can enjoy ad-free listening, as well as exclusive bonus content such as premium episodes, our macroeconomics course, early access to episodes and pre-sale access to tickets for Dalkey Book Festival & Kilkenomics. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
What this show covers
Irelandeconomic historyAIimmigrationFiscal policygeopoliticsEuropeeconomic policySilicon Valleypublic policyAccountabilityIreland budgetUS interest ratesCorporation taxAI boom
What listeners will find here
Ireland’s surplus or a sugar rush? A budget reality check from New York
Ireland’s budget surplus is the focus here, with a warning that much of it may be temporary corporation-tax money tied to the AI boom. The episode connects Irish fiscal choices to rising US rates, bubble fears, and the risks of treating a windfall like permanent income.
How one elusive dealmaker shaped Big Oil, Iraq, and a fortune he later gave away
Calouste Gulbenkian is the subject here: an Armenian power broker who never drilled for oil yet became extraordinarily rich by taking 5% of major deals. The episode connects his influence on Iraq, Shell, and Soviet art deals to today’s fuel prices and the structure of the oil industry.
Dublin house prices are slipping, but affordability is still brutally tight
Dublin housing is the focus here: prices fell 5.2% over the last year, bidding premiums have narrowed, and a buyer's strike is taking shape. The episode explores why demand is weakening, why supply still misses what people need, and what that could mean next.
Why 15-year-olds may be performing like 14-year-olds did a decade ago
Teen academic performance across the OECD appears to be slipping, with reading and maths scores falling and concerns rising about screens, AI shortcuts, and softer assessment. This episode asks whether teenagers are truly getting less capable—or whether the story is more complicated.
What Ireland’s tax-and-welfare math suggests about immigration
This episode examines whether a generous welfare state can coexist with large-scale immigration, using new research and Irish back-of-envelope calculations. It compares Ireland with the UK and Germany to show how tax and transfer systems can change the fiscal picture dramatically.
Episodes
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