Multi-attribute revealed preference data are used to investigate the heterogeneity of tastes in a sample of kayakers in relation to a panel of eleven whitewater sites in Ireland. The paper focuses on a comparison of the analysis of preference heterogeneity using a random parameter logit model...

Indicators encompassing the multi-dimensional nature of sustainability (economic, environmental and social) are developed here using National Farm Survey data over a ten-year period (1996-2006) to assess the overall sustainability of Irish agriculture. This is the first such study undertaken for...

Contingent valuation has been used extensively in estimating the value of environmental goods. One criticism of this approach, however, is that respondents in referendum-style contingent valuation surveys may express citizen assessments that take into account benefits to others rather than...

In this paper we outline the use of a farm level spatial microsimulation model that is used to produce small area farm population microdata estimates of the probability of participation by Irish farmers in the Rural Environmental Protection Scheme (REPS) for the year 2005. Previous studies that...

This paper considers farmers willingness to pay (WTP) to conserve an endangered Irish farmland bird, the Corncrake (Crex crex). An Irish National Farm Survey (NFS) is used to produce individual farm-level WTP estimates for the year 2006. These figures are then aggregated to obtain a total value...

Formally developed walking routes can have substantial benefits for individuals as a recreational resource and can be a tool for promoting economic development in marginal rural areas. Moreover, the provision of walking trails can facilitate individuals in meeting health related guidelines for...

Public access to the Irish countryside for walking and recreation generally is a contentious issue. Increased affluence, mobility and changing values have brought about increased demands with respect to recreation in the countryside. There is also a greater emphasis on consumption demands for...

This paper uses Irish National Farm Survey and Census of Agriculture data to analyse the regional implications of the decoupling of direct payments for farmers in Ireland. A mathematical programming model is used to estimate the regional effects of decoupling while a microsimulation model is...

We adapt the standard random utility model to take account of the heterogeneity of recreational preferences by using what we call a “skilled-based conditional logit framework”. By separating out our sample of whitewater kayakers into two exogenously identifiable groups (based on their skill...

The rural landscape can be thought of as a non-market commodity associated with the multifunctional aspect of agriculture and the need for its conservation is gaining more prominence in EU policy. This paper explored the Irish general public’s willingness to pay (WTP) for agricultural...