http://hdl.handle.net/2262/8818 2013-06-20T02:31:29Z 2013-06-20T02:31:29Z O'Toole, Ronnie http://hdl.handle.net/2262/8800 2010-06-03T15:55:43Z 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Ireland's recent productivity performance Author: O'Toole, Ronnie Abstract: This paper examines the reasons for the recent divergence in US and European productivity performance. The paper shows that the structure of European industry is ill suited to the challenge of innovation which has to be faced given the rapid development of ICT technology and the fact that the ability to grow economically by imitating US innovation becomes more limited as convergence to US levels of output is approached. Turning to Ireland, the paper will show that while Ireland’s productivity growth over the last decade has been impressive, we still compare unfavourably with Europe when adjustment is made for transfer pricing. Much of Ireland’s economic success has been through the employment of more resources, not their greatly improved utilisation. Further, the persistent problems of Irish per capita productivity stem from the well-known deficiencies of Irish public services, and the less appreciated failures of ICT-using services, particularly retail sales. Finally, the paper argues that Ireland exhibits greater cultural preference for (voluntary) leisure than our European neighbours. Description: Read before the Society, 29 March 2005

2005-01-01T00:00:00Z Minns, Chris http://hdl.handle.net/2262/8799 2010-06-03T15:55:43Z 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Immigration policy and the skills of Irish immigrants: evidence and the implications Author: Minns, Chris Abstract: The rise of immigration into Ireland has been accompanied by a debate on the potential objectives of immigration policy. This paper begins with a survey of international and historical evidence on the economics of immigration policy. To place Irish immigration in the international context, a recent OECD data set is used to compare the education of Irish immigrants to their counterparts in other European economies. The data suggest that Ireland's immigrant population is remarkably skilled. Immigrants of EU origin are positively selfselected. From outside the EU, some countries supply mainly skilled immigrants, while others are sources of less-skilled workers. These findings are used as a backdrop to explore three major issues in Irish immigration: the likely impact of EU accession of new member states, the appropriateness of current immigration policy, and the relationship between current immigration and future population flows. Description: read before the Society, 24 February 2005

2005-01-01T00:00:00Z Duffy, David http://hdl.handle.net/2262/8798 2010-06-03T15:55:43Z 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The Irish housing market: issues and prospects Author: Duffy, David Abstract: The housing sector represents an important micro-economic and macro-economic component of the Irish economy. At a micro level purchasing a dwelling is probably the biggest personal financial commitment an individual will make. The necessary funding is usually borrowed over a long time period. Borrowing constraints mean that the full purchase price of the dwelling cannot typically be borrowed. Mortgage repayment can represent a significant proportion of after tax income. Expenditure by the personal sector on housing and household equipment and operation represents around a quarter of the value of personal consumption. The performance of the housing sector is also important for the macro-economy. The substantial increase in housing output means that investment in new house building now accounts for 30 per cent of overall investment volumes and has made a significant contribution to the volume of economic growth in recent years. Construction employment, at over 204,000 in 2004, now accounts for around 11.7 per cent of total employment. Figures from the latest Quarterly National Household Survey show that much of the increase in employment in 2004 is accounted for by the construction sector. Section 1 provides an overview of recent trends in some housing market indicators. Section 2 discusses the impact of these recent developments on the affordability. Section 3 examines the consequences of high house prices for migration. Section 4 provides an analysis of the growth in housing output and the consequences for the Irish economy. Section 5 concludes. Description: Read before the Society, 14 April 2005

2005-01-01T00:00:00Z O'Donnell, Rory, Cahill, Noel, http://hdl.handle.net/2262/8779 2010-06-03T15:55:43Z 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: The NESC study Author: O'Donnell, Rory, Cahill, Noel, Abstract: This paper presents the key findings from a 2004 NESC study on the Irish housing system, Housing in Ireland: Performance and Policy. The paper begins by identifying the anxieties and concerns people have about housing. These cluster into three broad concerns: the stability of the housing market, the degree of inequality in housing opportunities experienced during the housing boom and the sustainability of settlement patterns and neighbourhoods developed in the past decade. An interpretation of the housing boom is developed to assess these concerns. It is argued that a large increase in house prices was inevitable given economic and demographic trends. The supply response was very dynamic but was considerably weaker in and near Dublin and other cities. The weaker supply response in Dublin and other cities was a product of systems of both planning and infrastructure. There was insufficient investment in infrastructure to support high-quality, high-density development. The analysis confirms anxieties about inequalities in the distribution of housing opportunities and also confirms concerns about the sustainability of new settlement patterns and neighbourhoods. The core policy challenges identified are the need to achieve highquality, sustainable neighbourhoods and to provide a more effective range of supports to those households that fall below the affordability threshold. The paper examines the dynamics of the land market and recommends long-term land use strategies and sufficient active land management to ensure delivery of both private and social housing Description: Read before the Society, 14 April 2005

2005-01-01T00:00:00Z Barry, Frank O'Mahony, Clare http://hdl.handle.net/2262/8778 2010-06-03T15:55:43Z 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: Making sense of the data on Ireland’s inward FDI Author: Barry, Frank; O'Mahony, Clare Abstract: Ireland, in employment terms, is the most FDI-intensive economy in the EU. International comparisons of trends and levels of FDI intensity are usually based on balance-of-payments data however, and the international data series on Ireland’s inward FDI tell hugely conflicting stories. Such series are published by the IMF, UNCTAD, OECD and Eurostat (with data generally provided either by the CSO or the IDA), while data on US FDI in Ireland are published by the US Bureau of Economic Analysis. The present paper documents these conflicting stories and searches for any underlying consistency through analysis of the items that the various databases include and exclude. FDI stock, flow and sectoral allocation data are explored and trends contrasted with what is known from MNC employment data. Description: Read before the Society, 17 November 2004

2005-01-01T00:00:00Z Palcic, Dónal Reeves, Eoin http://hdl.handle.net/2262/8758 2010-06-03T15:55:43Z 2005-01-01T00:00:00Z

Title: An economic analysis of privatisation in Ireland, 1991-2003 Author: Palcic, Dónal; Reeves, Eoin Abstract: Although a late starter with regard to privatising State Owned Enterprises (SOEs), Ireland was recently ranked 8th among OECD countries in terms of relative privatisation activity. This paper presents the first detailed analysis of the programme since the first divestiture in 1991. It explores how the rationale for selling SOEs has evolved and argues that privatisation has been pursued on the basis of multiple (sometimes conflicting) objectives. One goal that has been common to all divestitures has been that of improving company performance. Although we find evidence that SOEs achieve ‘static’ efficiency gains in the pre-privatisation period, the available evidence fails to support the hypothesis that privatisation brings about sustained improvements in enterprise performance. Privatisation has also been pursued in order to raise exchequer revenues and achieve certain distributional goals. Although the levels of share discounts and expenses have been low by international standards the government has foregone significant revenues by granting sizeable share ownerships to workers. Consequently workers along with institutional investors rank among the ‘winners’ from privatisation whereas small shareholders (in the case of Eircom) and the exchequer have incurred significant losses. Importantly, there is little to suggest that privatisation per se has yielded significant gains to the consumer. This raises questions about the sequencing of measures of privatisation and liberalisation. Description: Read before the Society, 14 October 2004

2005-01-01T00:00:00Z