Since January of this year 800 companies went out of business in Ireland and if the trend continues this will equate to 1,600 in one year, up 25 per cent on last year.
These are mainly limited companies which does not include family owned businesses who are also experiencing hardship in the downturn. It's a sad reflection on the way our economy may have gone.
Amazingly few of these companies were major builders or major banks. The companies that have gone out of business are mainly those who were let down by banks, the regulators of banks and politicians because of bad practices.
We are led to believe that the cause of our predicament is the downturn in the world economy.
What a load of crap.
We are often accused of always using an Irish solution to an Irish problem when things go wrong, but now we have resorted to using a world solution to an Irish problem, where does the waffle stop?
A total of 800 companies gone bust in a small country and no emergency plan of any sort in place or even contemplated.
The answer, more mini budgets, more levies, more property taxes for all of us, more money to bail out the banks, more money to bail out the builders.
While sheriffs knock on the front doors of many major building company directors hoping to seize TVs and other works of art to help pay off these billions they owe, some of these developer's are on the way out the back doors to the airport to set up building companies abroad in more lucrative pastures leaving NAMA or the tax payers of Ireland to look after their Irish financial affairs.
Recently one major Irish owned retailer went into liquidation, having operated for 70 years.
Their turnover had dropped from €80,000 per week to €30,000 per week and the loss of 100 jobs. It's only a shop seems to be the attitude.
An Irish solution to an Irish problem. The political and civil servants advisors approach may be they made money in the good times and so what.
The real sponsors of the Irish economy have always been the small and medium size businesses who, with family, operate in every town and parish in Ireland.
Their voices may not be as vocal at the bargaining table as they may not be always be in a position to employ major PR companies to fight their corner.

I feel at times I could be classed as a modern day socialist or communist because of some of the views one may have.
I have to refer to countries and individuals who seem to get their acts together despite some minor hiccups.
Hugo Chavez of Venezuela is one of those whose main priority is the welfare of their people.
With 220 billion dollars in reserve from its oil and gas production and taxes on foreign oil companies their economy is booming.
Unemployment stands at three per cent, a fraction of ours, yet the so called civilised world doesn't agree with leaders looking after their own. If there is a hint of a socialist, communist approach to doing business you are a danger to society and world peace.
The real dangers to society are the people who act irresponsibly and the people who should chastise them look the other way.
Venezuela's economy works on a simple approach. If you have a great natural asset hold on to it and use it to accumulate the wealth to look after your own.
We have never had the skills to negotiate for the protection of our fishing industry, oil or gas.
We tow the EU line by not upsetting the apple cart in case we annoy someone. In times like these when the well runs dry we're on our own, with the International Monetary Fund dictating our financial outcome because a lot of people took their eye off the ball.
When election time comes around we'll be back in clover with promises from political activists of what their prospective future TD or minister will do to right the wrongs and get the country back on track.
We should look at the Irish solutions to our Irish problems and sort them out when they arise not two or three years past the point of maybe no salvation. There are solutions to all our problems.
Bad times don't last forever which is why everyone should look on the bright side of life. We still have great people around who can continue to make things happen.
We have young people who have great ideas, who know where things have gone wrong. These people along with old shrewd heads need to be brought on board.
Ignoring good advice never works. Tapping into people who have the answers or some of them often works.
People who get it wrong all the time may be gone past their sell by date and may need to be taken off the shelf to make room for a product that can create more interest and keep all of us in business.
We may need to go one step further than just looking for the Irish solution to an Irish problem.