Ireland is ranked 25th in the 2014 Global Competitiveness Report. How can we improve our position?

An overview of the fiscal situation in Q4 2014, looking at the recent evolution of government revenues, expenditure (current and capital), the deficit and the national debt.

Ireland’s Provisional Greenhouse Gas Emissions 1990 – 2016

This note examines Ireland’s debt burden and also includes comparisons with other EU countries.

Ireland’s Spring Economic Forecast 2016 (European Commission)

Ireland’s Stability Programme April 2015 Update incorporating the Department of Finance's Spring Economic Statment.

Ireland's economy is expected to remain resilient and to keep growing faster than the EU average. Thanks to buoyant tax revenues, the deficit remains on a downward path despite considerable overspending

Irish Health Survey 2015

Report recommends a public utility model for the provision of water services in Ireland. The new utility would have full responsibility for the water cycle from abstraction to waste water treatment and sludge disposal.

The number of people on labour activation programmes has fallen by over 25 per cent or 24,000 in the last three years.

The Department of Public Expenditure and Reform on the proposed successor to the Croke Park Agreement

Labour Relations Commission Proposals for Public Service Stability Agreement 2013-2016

There were over 8,300 homeless people in September 2017 – an increase of almost 1,700 or over 25 per cent since September 2016.

California continues to be a world leader in most of what it does and how it does it. A recent visit yielded some good (the value of scale, volunteers, transparency), and not so good (labelling of highway exits, water policy and management) examples

Data on life expectancy, births, marriages and deaths, including age-standardised mortality rates

The attached report was commissioned by Publicpolicy.ie from Acuvest , an independent firm of Actuaries. We hope that it will help inform current debates on pensions policy. The authors are solely responsible for the analysis, views and conclusions reached in the reports.

Local Authorities plan to spend €4.4 billion in 2017. This note accompanies the forthcoming update to the Local Authority Finances website with 2017 Budgets, and explains where the money will come from and what it will be spent on.

Local Authorities plan to spend almost €4.8 billion in 2018. See your Council’s spending on LocalAuthorityFinances.com

Local Authority rent arrears amount to €73 million, of which €37 million are in Dublin .

Of the close to 24,000 tenancies in Dublin City Council, 6,300 or 26% are in arrears to the value of 12 weeks rent or more.

This note examines the scope which individual local authorities would have to vary the rate of property tax in their area should Government allow authorities to do so. The potential varies significantly in different local authority area.

All the Local Property Tax payment options, effective from July, have now been successfully implemented resulting in the collection of more than €175m in LPT to date, with a further €60m committed by way of phased payments.

Revenue.ie The statistics in this release are based on preliminary analysis of returns filed and other LPT related information. Work on refining the LPT register is ongoing and consequently the data included are not final data and a certain amount of estimation has been required. The statistics in this release focus on LPT in 2013 to 2015.

The statistics in this release are based on preliminary analysis of returns filed and other LPT related information. Work on refining the LPT Register is ongoing and consequently the data included are not final data and a cert

The statistics in this release from the Revenue Commissioners are based on preliminary analysis of returns filed and other LPT related information. Work on refining the LPT Register is ongoing and consequently the data included are not final data and a certain amount of estimation has been required.

Local Property Tax Statistics to 30/9/13

Seven local authorities have voted to increase the local property tax above the basic rate for 2018. Only four councils have reduced it. The net effect of these adjustments will decrease LPT revenue by €23 million next year.

Self-employed people face a higher rate of tax than employees. The inequity is particularly acute at low levels of income.

In a guest commentary, John Martin former Director for Employment, Labour and Social Affairs at OECD shows that the skill levels among the working-age population in Ireland are relatively low. Upskilling the adult population, especially in terms of the key information-processing skills, has to be a high priority for policy makers.

The tax wedge on low wage workers in Ireland is the lowest in the EU. This is a positive feature of the Irish system which minimises the disincentive to employ low skilled workers.

Eurostat publishes Maastricht returns which show that Ireland's General Government Deficit in 20012 was 7.6 % of GDP. The forecast for 2013 is 7.4 % of GDP.

This note by the Department of Finance explains the out turn of 2011 general Government deficit and debt and gives forecasts for 2012.

Macro-Financial Review November 2012. Central Bank of Ireland

European Economy - Macroeconomic Imbalances Ireland 2014

Macroeconomic Scoreboard 2014 CSO

Economics is the science of choice. The job of economists is to take away the punch bowl just when the party gets going. It's perhaps the only field where, the more they get it wrong, the more their services are in demand – perverse incentives on a grand scale.

Ireland’s maths and science scores, among 15-year-old students, are above the OECD average. Yet, 15% of 15-year-olds lack basic skills.

The conventional measure of youth unemployment does not account for comparatively higher participation in education by young people. This report contrasts the conventional measure with an alternative – the unemployment ratio.

Department of Finance Medium Term Budgetary Framework Published December 2013

Department of Finance - Medium Term Fiscal Statement November 2012

This report provides Governments with practical advice and policy tools to pursue urgent reform in their water sectors. It examines three fundamental areas that need to be addressed: financing of the water sector; governance and institutional arrangements; and coherence between water policies and policies in place in other sectors of the economy.

Department of Finance's Monthly Economic Bulletin

Department of Finance.

December 2013 Monthly Economic Bulletin Department of Finance

Department of Finance's Monthly Economic Bulletin October 2013

Monthly Economic Bulletin October 2017. Departmemt of Finance

This note contains the latest statistics on mortgage arrears and mortgage restructuring, as well as a brief description of the new bankruptcy regime.

The information represents mortgage restructures and arrears to the end of August 2013 for principal dwelling houses (PDH) for the 6 main banks which are part of the Central Bank’s Mortgage Arrears Resolution Targets. These lenders represent 90% of the market. The data has not gone through the lenders quality control process and is unaudited.

The aim of the National Pensions Framework is to deliver security, equity, choice and clarity for the individual. It also aims to increase pension coverage, particularly among low to middle income groups and to ensure that State support for pensions is equitable and sustainable. This document was published in Dec 2010.

National Risk Assessment 2016

National Risk Assessment 2017

A critical feature of the period leading up to Ireland’s economic and financial crisis was a major underestimation of the risks associated with an increasingly unbalanced economy. The conclusions from the many official enquiries into the causes of Ireland’s unprecedented collapse all indicate that there had been a systemic failure to assess and manage key risks on the part of a wide range of public institutions. This Publicpolicy.ie report by a team led by Dr Donal Donovan, former Deputy Director of the IMF, proposes a number of measures to strengthen Ireland’s management of risks. The report is framed by a study of the practices and experiences of a number of countries with some characteristics not dissimilar to those of Ireland. The team met government officials from agencies and other independent experts in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway and the UK.

A critical feature of the period leading up to Ireland’s economic and financial crisis was a major underestimation of the risks associated with an increasingly unbalanced economy. The conclusions from the many official enquiries into the causes of Ireland’s unprecedented collapse all indicate that there had been a systemic failure to assess and manage key risks on the part of a wide range of public institutions. This Publicpolicy.ie report by a team led by Dr Donal Donovan, former Deputy Director of the IMF, proposes a number of measures to strengthen Ireland’s management of risks. The report is framed by a study of the practices and experiences of a number of countries with some characteristics not dissimilar to those of Ireland. The team met government officials from agencies and other independent experts in Australia, New Zealand, Singapore, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Norway and the UK.

This report (Feb12) marks the first step in implementing the new surveillance procedure for the prevention and correction of macroeconomic imbalances in the EU. Countries that are already under increased economic surveillance (Greece, Ireland, Portugal & Romania) are not examined. Further in-depth analysis is recommended for Belgium, Bulgaria, Denmark, Spain, France, Italy, Cyprus, Hungary, Slovenia, Finland, Sweden and the UK.

Government Finance Statistics Annual Results 2009-2012 (April 2013) (PDF 141KB) Government Finance Statistics Quarterly Results 2009-2012 (April 2013) (PDF 104KB)

The latest Gini coefficients for Ireland are .311 in 2011 and .316 in 2010

The Central Bank of Ireland today (27 January) announced the introduction of new regulations which will apply proportionate limits to mortgage lending by regulated financial services providers in the Irish market.

New Targeted Voluntary Redundancy Scheme in Public Sector

OECD Economic Forecast for Ireland (Summary) November 2012

OECD Economic Outlook (June, 2015)

OECD Health Data

Economic survey on Ireland by the OECD.

This report finds that Ireland is among the OECD countries that levy a relatively low tax burden on labour income, particularly for single parents with low earnings. In 2000, the average tax wedge (income taxes plus employee and employer social security contributions minus cash transfers as a percentage of total labour costs) was below the OECD average for all family types in the Taxing Wages Report. Between 2000 and 2011, the difference compared with the OECD average widened as Ireland reduced the tax wedge considerably except for the single taxpayers with low and high earnings. Over this period, the tax wedge declined by more than 23 percentage points for single parents with low earnings; they received more in government transfers than the taxes they paid. Their tax wedge was the lowest among the OECD countries in 2011. Note: the Tax Wedge is the sum of personal income tax and employee plus employer social security contributions together with any payroll tax less cash transfers, expressed as a percentage of labour costs

When money is short, it is especially important to seek out those opportunities that make us better off, and don’t cost much.

Payment of Household Charges

Seminar on Evaluation of Tax Expenditures, 2 March 2014 Presentation by David Hegarty & Donal Lynch Economics Division, Department of Finance

2012 Report on Pension Charges in Ireland from the Department of Social Protection.

Pension Schemes regulated by the Pension Board

Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Robert Watt, address at the Social Justice Ireland’s annual Social Policy Conference, in Croke Park, on Tuesday 19 November 2013.

Policy Perspectives: Staff Publications 2013 Department of Finance

Demographic data for Ireland, including projected population and projected dependency ratios.

EU Commission, Occasional paper 119, October 2012

This first post-programme surveillance (PPS) report provides an assessment of Ireland's economic, fiscal and financial situation following the completion of the EU-IMF financial assistance programme.

Post-Programme Surveillance Report - Ireland, Spring 2016, EU Commission

Post-Programme Surveillance Report Ireland Autumn 2015. European Commission

September 2014 Irish Fiscal Advisory Council

Pre-Budget 2016 Statement, October 2015 Irish Fiscal Advisory Counci

Presentation by Maureen Lynott, Chair of the Top Level Appointments Committee to Publicpolicy.ie on 11 September, 2012

A short presentation on migration, employment and labour market participation delivered by Cormac O’Sullivan at the first annual NERI Labour Market Conference on May 1st 2013

IMF Completes Eighth Review Under the Extended Fund Facility with Ireland and Approves €0.89 billion Disbursement.

An Overview of Ireland's Results Can be Found Here

The purpose of the Organisational Review Programme (ORP) is to help organisations ensure that they are fit for purpose in terms of the challenges they face. This is the first report and makes recommendations in relation to a number of Departments. Published in Feb 2012.

"Progress Report on Implementation of Government's Public Service Reform Plan". September 2012

Project Ireland 2040 - National Development Plan 2018—2027

Project Ireland 2040 - National Planning Framework

Some have complained that the residential property tax that will be applied in Ireland from 2013, which will be based on the market value of the property, will be unfair to Dubliners, because property values are higher there than elsewhere in Ireland. The value of the 298 properties sold in Dundrum, County Dublin are compared with the value of the 25 properties sold in Dundrum, County Tipperary, over the 2010-2012 period, using the Residential Property Price Register (RPPR). The median value (and associated full-year property tax in brackets) for Dundrum, County Tipperary are €100,001-150,000 (€225); the equivalent for Dundrum, County Dublin are €350,001-400,000 (€675); the median property owners in County Dublin will pay €450 more in annual property than their counterparts in County Tipperary. But the former have manifold advantages over the latter, including easy access to tax-payer subsidised infrastructure and services in: transport, culture, sports, education, health; and the widest range of life style possibilities, job options and entrepreneurial potential on the island. These benefits are reflected in property prices and therefore in property taxes; this is fair and appropriate. The timeliness and transparency of the property price evidence available on the RPPR is impressive, as is the quality and clarity of the background information and responses to ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ provided by the Revenue Commissioners. One weakness is that the price is not converted into price per M2. This gap should be corrected as a matter of urgency. The data, combined with the Revenue Commissioners’ ability to nudge us towards compliance with a variety of soft and hard measures, make it likely that most of us will comply.

A quick summary of some of the issues and challenges relating to the design of a Property Tax.

Public Investment Management Assessment (IMF, 2017)

The attached speech on Public Sector Reform was delivered by Paul Haran former Secretary General of the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment at the MacGill Summer School on 25 July, 2012

The attached speech on Public Sector Reform was delivered by Robert Watt Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform at the MacGill Summer School on 25 July, 2012

The attached speech on Public Sector Reform was delivered by Robert Watt Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform at the MacGill Summer School on 25 July, 2012

This Report issued by the Institute of Public Administration brings together Irish and international indicators on the size, efficiency and legitimacy of the public sector and institutions of State

Data on public service numbers, pay and pensions.

An actuarial valuation has been carried out by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform to update the accrued liability in respect of Public Service occupational pensions.

Public Service Performance Report 2016 Department of Public Expenditure & Reform

Presentation By Robert Watt To IIEA 15 May 2014

The government’s strategy for public sector reform. Published in January, 2014

Speech by the Secretary General of the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, Robert Watt at the IPA Governance Forum Morning Conference: “Rationalising State Agencies: Where are the Benefits”

Putting People First - Local Government Reform Proposals

The results of a nationally-representative survey that asked respondents to state how they would prefer to be charged for water. Nearly 50% of respondents opted for a Pay By Use scheme, while 34% were in favour of a Flat Charge and 16% preferred to pay through an increase in General Taxation.