Budget 2015 and Public Investment in Social Housing
There are over 90,000 people on the waiting list for social housing. This level of demand for a basic need required a substantial investment in housing, and, in this regard, Budget 2015 was a significant first step. The headline investment of €2.2 billion over the coming three years to provide 10...
Monday Blog: The Shifts and the Shocks
My review of Martin Wolf's book, The Shifts and the Shocks, was published recently in the Irish Times. The book provides a timely and serious analysis of the global situation and outlines some pointers about what needs to happen next if we are not to be condemned to permanent stagnation. Read the...
The case for investment in social housing
"Regeneration schemes”, we must never forget, are not just about plans, structures or budgets. They are not just about the physical houses provided. They are about communities that are enabled to thrive and flourish. They are about people who are being acknowledged and encouraged to develop a proud...
Economic Outlook, Autumn 14
External event contribution Slides from Dr Tom McDonnell's presentation to the PSEU conference.
Monday Blog: Dealing with a terrible marriage
They were tall, elegant, famous, beautiful and affluent. It was a fairy-tale marriage deemed to last forever …. until the gales of crisis struck and deep cracks were exposed. In 2002 and in the run-up to the introduction of the Euro most commentators and policy makers imagined that peace, stability...
Monday Blog: Researching the macro-economic impact of the Living Wage
The idea of a ‘living wage’ is gathering momentum in many parts of the world. It is conceived and measured as a wage rate which is adequate to meet the needs of workers and their families in a given society at a given time. But affordability of life for workers is one thing – what about...
Monday Blog: Wage repression - the new orthodoxy
Wages have been falling since 2009 in the Republic of Ireland. This deterioration has been accompanied by (i) an erosion in purchasing power as the prices of most goods and services rise and (ii) less money in people’s pockets as taxes and public charges have risen and many social payments have been...
Monday Blog: Youth labour market still in recession
The week gone by brought some mixed news in regards to wages and employment trends in the Republic of Ireland. The recovery in total estimated employment from about the end of 2012 has continued into 2014 but at a much reduced pace. At the same time, wages are dropping slightly on average (before...
Monday Blog: Wages stagnation in Northern Ireland a brake on recovery
The speed of economic recovery in the UK has taken many by surprise. First the good news. Employment is up. Retail sales are up and business investment is expanding. This is good news for exporters in the Republic of Ireland especially those in sectors such as agri-food where, traditionally, the UK...
Monday Blog: The Energy Debate: touch choices
Fracking – or Induced hydraulic fracturing to give it its full technical term – is rapidly developing as an issue of public debate. In the United States where fracking has been in operation for many years the output of oil and gas is making a significant contribution to opening up alternative...