News

Professor Alan Ahearne, Director of the Whitaker Institute has been appointed to the External Advisory Group (EAG) to the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO).  The first meeting took place on Monday 25th June 2018 The EAG’s expertise is drawn from both academia and the private sector and will serve to enhance the output of the PBO… | Read on »

The environmental pillar of the EU’s Integrated Maritime Policy that supports sustainable ‘blue growth’ is manifested through the EU Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). The MSFD aims to achieve and maintain good environmental status of all EU marine waters by 2020. A healthy and productive marine environment provides a variety of ecosystem goods and services… | Read on »

The European Union (EU) aims to protect, value and, where necessary, to restore nature both for biodiversity’s intrinsic value and for its contribution to human wellbeing and economic prosperity through ecosystem services. The main policy drivers in achieving these goals are the Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) and 2020 Biodiversity Strategy. Both policies recognise that… | Read on »

Prenuptial agreements have traditionally been considered legally void in Ireland. However, in 2007 a ministerial Study Group recommended limited legislative recognition of prenuptial agreements, in light of social and economic changes. The Study Group’s recommendations have never been implemented, and the legal recognition of prenuptial agreements remains controversial, largely due to fairness concerns, particularly in… | Read on »

On 6th June 2018, the Whitaker Institute hosted its annual forum for NUI Galway PhD students, in the Hardiman Research Building. Targeted at students at all stages of their PhD, the event was fully subscribed, with 65 students registered for the one-day event. The forum was opened by the Director of the Whitaker Institute, Professor… | Read on »

A focus on generational renewal has been highlighted by the European Commission as a priority for future Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) reform. A major challenge therefore presents itself in the area of intergenerational family farm transfer, to help achieve this objective. There are numerous, intricate emotional facets affecting the older generation’s farm transfer decision-making process… | Read on »

The economic rationale frequently cited for local government territorial reforms and municipal amalgamations is the economies of scale argument. It is argued that in the subnational public sector sphere larger councils may exhibit scale economies, and provide services at a lower per unit cost than smaller councils. As against the ‘small is beautiful’ argument that… | Read on »

Go Wild in Galway – Galway’s free festival of wildlife and nature, takes place on Saturday 26th and Sunday 27th of May 2018. Locations are across Galway city and include Silver Strand, NUI Galway, Merlin Woods.  This year we will celebrate what nature means to everyone including how we benefit in terms of our health… | Read on »

Special issue call for papers from Journal of Social Marketing Deadline for submission: 30 September 2019 Early expressions of interest and enquiries can be directed to the special issue Guest Editors: lukas.parker@rmit.edu.au and k.kubacki@griffith.edu.au See http://www.emeraldgrouppublishing.com/products/journals/call_for_papers.htm?id=7855  for the full call and submissions process

  The Cluster on Conflict, Humanitarianism and Security co-hosted a seminar with the Irish Centre for Human Rights on the prosecution of Ratko Mladić on Wednesday 14 March 2018. The well-attended seminar was given by Jonas Nilsson, former Senior Legal Officer advising the Trial Chamber at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in the Hague. In this… | Read on »