Taoiseach launches ESRI overarching report Sharing the Island: Economic and Social Challenges and Opportunities and announces new phase of joint research programme

April 28, 2025

Labour Markets and Skills
Macroeconomics
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  • The ESRI report, Sharing the Island: Economic and Social Challenges and Opportunities: Evidence from an ESRI Research Programme launched by Taoiseach Micheál Martin today (28 April 2025) synthesises key findings from the 15 previous reports published as part of the Sharing the Island series.
  • The report is being launched as part of a keynote address to a major conference co-hosted by the ESRI and the Department of the Taoiseach in Dublin’s Docklands.
  • The Taoiseach is also announcing a new phase of the joint research programme between the ESRI and his Department as part of the Shared Island Initiative

Taoiseach Micheál Martin TD said: “I am delighted to launch the overarching report and new phase of the ESRI’s joint research programme as part of the Shared Island Initiative. Research is an essential part of the Shared Island Initiative. We need data to inform all-island investment and cooperation priorities, as we build a shared future together on this island. The huge untapped potential of all-island cooperation is a major takeaway from the ESRI’s overarching report. This reflects the Government’s commitments to expand our Shared Island Initiative, so that we bring cooperation to a new level.”

ESRI Director, Alan Barrett, said: “In order to advance the vision of a ‘shared island’, it is important that we have a shared understanding of the economic and social structures on the island of Ireland, north and south. Since 1960, the ESRI has sought to develop insights into these structures with a focus on Ireland. While Northern Ireland and all-island issues have also featured in our research, our joint programme with the Shared Island Unit in the Department of the Taoiseach has allowed us to greatly expand the evidence-base on the economic and social outcomes and process in a comparative context. This enhanced evidence-base should in turn provide for better-informed debate on the scope for increased engagement and collaboration on the island for the benefit of all.”

Key Findings

Ireland and Northern Ireland share many social, historical, and geographical characteristics; however, their political institutions and policy configurations differ significantly. The latest ESRI-Shared Island report, published today, synthesises key findings from the 15 previous programme reports, highlighting interlinkages and reflecting on implications for future policy learning on the island.

Demographic and Economic Context

  • Age Structure: Ireland has a younger population than Northern Ireland, with higher labour force participation and employment rates.
  • Income: Household disposable income was 18.3% higher in Ireland than in Northern Ireland in 2018, and this gap has widened over time.
  • Education: Education participation rates are higher in Ireland across nearly all age groups. Early school leaving is more common in Northern Ireland.
  • Life Expectancy: Life expectancy at birth is two years higher in Ireland than in Northern Ireland, reflecting overall differences in welfare and living standards.

Inequalities in Outcomes

  • Employment: Women with children are less likely to be in paid employment than men in both jurisdictions, with higher rates of part-time work and low pay among women.
  • Income Inequality: Market income inequality (before taxes and benefits) is lower in Northern Ireland. In Ireland, the tax system is more important in reducing inequality while in Northern Ireland, means-tested benefits play a stronger role. Overall, inequality in disposable income (after tax and transfers) is very similar in Ireland and Northern Ireland.
  • Child Poverty: Child income poverty rates are higher in Northern Ireland, while child material deprivation is somewhat higher in Ireland.
  • Healthcare: Both regions have similar GP supply and primary healthcare utilisation, with long waits being a common issue in both regions. Ireland has higher levels of unmet needs due to costs.
  • Housing Costs: Housing costs represent around 20% of disposable income in both regions, with more extreme boom and bust cycles in Ireland.
  • Political Satisfaction: Satisfaction with the political system and trust in institutions are generally higher in Ireland, though attitudes have been volatile. There is some evidence that younger generations are becoming more disillusioned, particularly in Northern Ireland.

These findings highlight significant differences and similarities between Ireland and Northern Ireland, providing insights for policy learning and development.

Policy Implications

  • Education: Skill levels at primary and secondary levels are similar, but Northern Ireland has higher rates of early school leaving, with consequences for employment and productivity. Differences in post-secondary qualification attainment suggest potential for further education and training development in Northern Ireland.
  • Educational Inequality is evident in both regions, particularly in qualification levels in Northern Ireland and upper secondary grades in Ireland. There is potential for mutual policy learning around the targeting of local areas or schools to address educational disadvantage.
  • Healthcare and Housing: Both regions face challenges with waiting lists and housing supply, indicating a need for workforce development.
  • Gendered Nature of Care: This impacts on employment access for women, with a need for affordable early years and after-school care. Lone mothers face particular employment challenges, requiring education, training, and childcare support.

Cross-border cooperation

  • The Good Friday Agreement established a framework for formal cross-border cooperation on the island, creating six North-South bodies under the North South Ministerial Council. Despite successes in a cooperative approach to tourism, progress in other strategic areas such as education, health, agriculture, and the environment has not met its full potential.
  • Strategic Areas for Cooperation: There are advantages to substantially upscaling North-South cooperation in existing strategic areas such as education, health and environmental policy and in extending the remit of cooperation to include new strategic areas for cooperation such as, for example, skills provision, foreign direct investment, labour market access and energy security.