Policy Briefs

Against the backdrop of population ageing, which has been identified as a major societal challenge for all Western nations, successive Irish Government reports have reflected on the difficulty of sustaining the costs of the public State pension. The need for pension reform in Ireland continues to give rise to much public debate. Recasting pensions however… | Read on »

For sustainable development to be meaningful, it must be achievable and measurable by some reasonably clear metric or metrics. Economists have long recognised that the System of National Accounting aggregates fail to properly measure human well-being. Complements and perhaps alternatives to indicators such as Gross National Income are required. However, the development of sustainability indicators… | Read on »

Ireland has set ambitious economic growth targets for the agri-food sector up to 2025 and beyond, with sustainability being an important consideration in the national development strategies (Food Wise 2025 and Harnessing our Ocean Wealth – An Integrated Marine Plan). Although Ireland has achieved a prominent position in global agri-food trade as one of the… | Read on »

Principal investigators (PIs) are ‘scientists who orchestrate new research projects, combine resources and competencies, deepen existing scientific trajectories or shape new ones that are transformative in intent, nature, and outcome that can be exploited for commercial ends and or for societal common good.’  Taking on the PI role is a significant career milestone for scientists…. | Read on »

In Ireland, 1.9 million people (40% of the population) reside within 5km of the coast. Legally, the coastal zone in Ireland has no defined limits, yet is our most stressed environment due to rising anthropogenic pressures and evolving climate hazards. Sandy beaches and coastal dunes are experiencing chronic degradation and the diverse array of ‘natural’… | Read on »

The Irish Civil Service Renewal Plan sets out a vision for a high performing system with the capability to meet the challenges facing Ireland over the coming years.  In accordance with Action 10 of the Civil Service Renewal Plan, the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform (DPER) implemented a senior executive leadership programme (ELP) aimed… | Read on »

In 2018, the Irish government published the National Planning Framework (NPF) as part of Project Ireland 2040. As the Irish economy emerged from a decade of economic recession, these planning documents were seen as timely. The vision set forth was “based on a set of values that will ensure Ireland’s long term economic, environmental and… | Read on »

Traditionally, local governments fund recurring expenditures from three broad sources, namely user fees and charges, local taxes and grants or transfers.  Although reform of local government funding is a never-ending process, since the 2008 financial crisis Ireland has witnessed an unusually large number of changes in the funding of Irish local councils. These are a… | Read on »

The potential benefits from foreign direct investment (FDI) are viewed as important, as technology transfers resulting from FDI can lead to higher productivity of domestic firms, thereby boosting a host country’s growth rate. Economists and policymakers in many developing economies thus believe firmly that FDI plays a key role in the economic convergence process; they… | Read on »

The incoming EU Whistleblowing Directive 2019 will require many organizations* to make significant changes to protect whistleblowers against retaliation, establish confidential whistleblower channels and clear reporting processes.  Organisations must implement arrangements now that enable employees to speak up about perceived wrongdoing. But how to go about this? This research examined key organizations in the finance,… | Read on »