ESRI Newsletter | February 2025
Dear Reader,
Retrofitting homes is a critical step for the Government to meet its Climate Action Plan targets. This month, we published a report assessing the scale of investment needed to improve energy efficiency in the rental sector and exploring potential financing options. Our research estimates that property owners will need to invest between €7 billion and €8 billion to retrofit rental properties to a BER rating of B1-B2.
Meanwhile, colleagues in the Behavioural Research Unit published a report examining how public behaviour evolved throughout COVID-19 and how it was shaped by perceptions and attitudes toward the pandemic. While fatigue with public health guidelines did emerge over time, it was not the most significant factor influencing compliance. More important was whether people viewed the public health restrictions as easy to follow and perceived them as coherent rather than contradictory. These findings offer valuable lessons not only for managing future pandemics but also for addressing other situations where Government (and society more broadly) faces a threat that demands coordinated, national collective action.
Looking ahead, we have several upcoming events. On 4th March, we will launch the report The School Completion Programme Revisited at a webinar. The following day, 5th March, we will host Dr Luke Munford from the University of Manchester at the ESRI, where he will discuss research about the link between low productivity and inequalities in population mental health. You can register for both events below.
In March, we plan to publish research on child-related leave and its implications for gender equality, the Monitoring Report on Integration 2024, and the Quarterly Economic Commentary, Spring 2025.
Professor Alan Barrett
Director