In Ireland, approximately 30 per cent of the population (medical cardholders) receive free GP services while the remainder (non-medical cardholders) must pay for each visit. In 1989, the manner in which GPs were reimbursed by the State for their medical cardholder patients was changed from...

This paper uses duration analysis to investigate the role of tobacco taxes in starting and quitting smoking. Applying a variety of parametric duration models, including a split population model, to a sample of Irish women, it finds that in general tobacco taxes do influence starting and quitting...

Forecasting the Public Finances and the Macroeconomic Context for Budget 2003: by Adele Bergin, David Duffy, John Eakins & Daniel McCoy This first paper outlines the macroeconomic context in which the Budget is set and attempts to discern the appropriate fiscal stance for 2003. The authors see...