Changes in government debt over time reflect the impact of government deficits. The sustainability of the national debt depends on the scale of the debt in relation to the size of the economy. The government debt-to-GDP ratio is the amount of a country’s total gross government debt as a percentage...

This weeks ‘family budget’ has helped highlight the challenges Irish society continues to face regarding the provision of adequate and affordable childcare, the ability of second earners with children to join the labour force and the ongoing need for substantial investment in early childhood care...

The proposed budget for 2016 (Republic of Ireland) will go for approval by the relevant European authorities in the coming weeks. One can expect a favourable outcome from that quarter albeit with a caution that the Government ought to be spending less and paying down more of the national debt. In...

It is widely accepted that the issue of pensions is a boring subject. Curiously, interest in pensions is found to be highly correlated with age so that someone starting out in paid work in their 20’s regards the matter as remote, distant and … boring. In any case the proportion of new hires and...

Budget 2016 is close at hand and inevitably, and unfortunately, the debate has been characterised by loud and persistent campaigning by the anti-tax lobby. It seems every day brings new calls for tax breaks for one interest group or another. Yet there is limited fiscal space and we cannot afford to...

As part of next week’s Budget the Government is likely to announce an increase to the statutory Minimum Wage. The increase follows the recommendations of the Low Pay Commission. The latest NERI Research inBrief estimates some of the effects of the proposed increase in the minimum wage. Specifically...

Earlier this week, the inaugural Living Wage Forum was convened to explore the idea and potential of the concept of a Living Wage for the Republic of Ireland. As part of a contribution from the Living Wage Technical Group, I outlined some of the implications of a Living Wage for employees, employers...

A roof over one’s head and a safe, comfortable and healthy place that can be called home is a fundamental human right. Just as the issue of land was a central social concern and point of conflict in 19 th century Ireland, the question of accommodation was central to the social movement associated...