Step away from the duvet

MINISTER for Enterprise, Trade and Investment, Arlene Foster, this week warned that some people are “hiding under the duvet” about the public sector cuts that are on the way.

Commenting on a NICVA report that the cuts will be worse than expected, otherwise known as the ‘we’re all doomed’ theory’, Ms Foster was quite clear that the cuts to the public sector would create “very serious issues”.

It is worth remembering that the public sector funds quite a lot of voluntary and community groups, so, yes, it will be a very serious issue - even more serious than putting public sector workers on the dole.

Perhaps a way to alleviate a tiny amount of the cuts coming down the line next month will be to look at the Invest NI edifice that dominates Belfast’s Bedford Street; this architectural masterpiece surely must have some spare offices that could be rented out. Or even some of the car parking spaces it commands could be offered up for renting to all the private sector entrepreneurs, because we’re culling the public sector, aren’t we? And maybe that may include some of those in Invest NI who benefit from those car parking spaces?

Another option Ms Foster may chose to look at is boosting tourism. Especially the tourists who save on fares to make sure they can spend in Northern Ireland. You know the sort of tourist that might use Ryanair...

She may instead, decide that we should all hide under the duvet, with the nice cardboard box round it and the newspapers stuffed down the jumper as it gets so cold when sleeping rough.