Bust to Boom? The Irish Experience of Growth and Inequality

This book, which was launched at a conference to mark the fortieth anniversary of the founding of the ESRI, was mainly written and edited by ESRI staff along with some outside contributors. It examines in depth the key factors leading to Ireland's transformation and how the social and economic structure of the country has been affected. The study synthesises a great deal of the work done in the Institute over the last decade to elucidate the complex interplay of economic, social and political forces which have shaped Irish society. It begins by putting the profound transformation that the country has experienced in international perspective and goes on to analyse its determinants. There follows a detailed discussion of the relationship between policy and performance across a number of domains - the labour market, the educational system and the class structure, the distribution of income and the extent of poverty, political culture and the social partnership process. The book concludes by looking to the future and considering the challenges which face the distinctive Irish model of economic and social development.