Nolan and Callan examine why relative income poverty rates in Ireland have remained high compared with many other EU countries. They begin by presenting the basic facts of the situation and look at a variety of possible explanations for the observed patterns. They conclude that differences in...

The government's Green Paper highlights the question of whether tax incentives for pensions could be better targeted. At present, tax relief on pension contributions is offered at the full marginal rate, making the relief of greater value to those on higher incomes who pay at the top rate of...

Ireland is one of the countries most severely affected by the Great Recession. National income fell by more than 10 per cent between 2007 and 2012, as a result of the bursting of a remarkable property bubble, an exceptionally severe banking crisis, and deep fiscal adjustment. This paper examines...

Various approaches adopted in developed economies to distinguishing between the poor and non-poor--to setting a poverty line--are reviewed. These include the budget standard, food ratio, "official," subjective and relative poverty line methods, as well as the analysis of indicators of...

Opening Address Brendan Whelan In Search of an Appropriate European Fiscal Framework Catherine Mathieu and Henri Sterdyniak Relative Income Poverty: Learning from the Best-Performing Countries Tim Callan and Brian Nolan Ireland's Health Care System: Some Issues and Challenges Anne Nolan and...