Challenges and opportunities for social protection policy in post-recession Ireland
I Aims and Objectives
There are some signs of recovery from the Crisis in Ireland. Economic growth has resumed, albeit sluggishly; employment has increased and unemployment fallen by small but measurable quantities; the public finances have stabilized, although still in substantial deficit. Nevertheless, austerity remains the core budgetary strategy and extremely high unemployment persists: a combination that poses severe challenges for social welfare policy. In this context, it is timely to consider the future of the welfare state and to assess the challenges facing social policy within a comparative framework and to analyse the likely directions of change that derive both from long-run structural changes in European societies and economies, and the more short-term cyclical effects of the Great Recession.
In addition to the severity of the crisis in Ireland, a further distinctive and challenging dimension of the Irish situation is the very high proportion of jobless households. In 2010
22% of people lived in jobless households in Ireland: twice the EU average. The substantial majority of such households depended upon social welfare transfers for most of their income. This raises questions about income adequacy and social inclusion, on the one hand, and poverty traps and employment incentives, on the other. Such a high proportion of jobless households also raise serious issues about sustainability of welfare policy.
The Workshop will explore both of these dimensions by focussing on developments in social protection and social welfare systems as well as on the household within the welfare state.
Themes will include: the influence of macro-economic and global change on social protection systems; emerging debates about social policy; financial constraints arising from fiscal consolidation and demographic change; income inequality and poverty at household level; the impact of taxation and welfare on households; unemployment, jobless households and activation policy; and housing policy. Participants will be introduced to the main theoretical debates on welfare state development as well as to emerging research on how households are treated by and respond to welfare policies. The Workshop is intended to
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inform policymakers and contribute evidence to public debates about future directions in social policy.
II Participants
Participants (approximately 25) will include relevant personnel from public sector bodies and NGOs – particularly those involved in conducting, commissioning and interpreting research in social policy – as well as early stage researchers, such as PhD students and postdoctoral researchers. We are seeking a wide geographical as well as sectoral mix of participants.
III Schedule & Format
The duration of the Workshop is to be 5 days – Sept 8 th to 12 th 2014.
The Workshop will take the format of morning lectures by leading experts in the field and afternoon sessions structured around the active involvement of the summer school participants.
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The morning sessions will run from 10.00-12.30, and will consist of lectures on stateof-the-art theoretical issues, research findings and methodological considerations relating to the topic of the day.
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The afternoon sessions 2.00-4.30 will follow on thematically from the morning lecture and will generally involve a discussion by participants of advance-circulated journal articles/book chapters, facilitated by the lecturers.
IV Overview of Workshop
Monday, Sept 8 th : The Welfare State after the Crisis
Morning
9.30-10.00 Orientation
10.00 Introduction to key issues and challenges for the welfare state
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Opening Address - Niamh O'Donoghue, Secretary General of Department of Social
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Protection
The Politics of Austerity – Niamh Hardiman (UCD Geary)
Fiscal Issues, Demography & Welfare Changes - John McHale (Irish Fiscal Advisory Council and NUI Galway )
Afternoon
Group Discussion/Workshops
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Tuesday Sept 9 th : Unemployment Protection and Activation
Morning
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Keynote Speaker: Tánaiste and Minister for Social Protection, Joan Burton
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Household Joblessness – Dorothy Watson and Bertrand Maitre (ESRI)
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Social Protection and Activation - Elish Kelly (ESRI) and Philip O’Connell (UCD Geary)
Afternoon
Group Discussion/Workshops
Wednesday Sept 10 th : Tax and Welfare
Morning
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Aspects of Tax & Welfare – Donal de Buitléir (Public Policy.ie)
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Tax and Welfare – Tom Healy (Nevin Economic Research Inst)
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Incentives and Poverty Traps – Mary Murphy (NUI Maynooth)
Afternoon
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Presentation on the work of the Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare - Ita Mangan
(Chair, Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare )
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Panel discussion
Thursday Sept 11 th : Income Inequality and Poverty
Morning
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Long-term Trends in Inequality - Brian Nolan (UCD Geary)
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The Impact of the Crisis on Poverty and Vulnerability - Chris Whelan (Queens University
Belfast & UCD Geary), Helen Russell (ESRI) and Bertrand Maitre (ESRI)
Afternoon
Group Discussion/Workshops
Friday Sep 12 th : Housing Policy
Morning
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Irish Housing Policy - Tony Fahey (UCD Geary)
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Subsidies and Social Housing – Michelle Norris (UCD Geary)
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Housing Assistance Payment Scheme – Rosalind Carroll (The Housing Agency)
Afternoon
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Mortgage Arrears & Personal Insolvency – Yvonne McCarthy (Central Bank of Ireland)
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Closing comments o Philip O’Connell (UCD Geary)
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