Managing an Economy Under EMU: The Case of Ireland

This paper first considers the dilemma facing the ECB itself in managing the eurozone economy. It then turns to the issues facing individual governments in managing their own regional economies within the euro zone - in particular the issues facing the Irish government. We first consider the extent to which individual governments should be concerned about deviations in domestic inflation rates from the average euro zone rate. We identify significant benefits to EMU membership but also a cost in the reduction in the ability to control pressures on domestic property markets. Finally, this paper does not consider the problems facing regions of national economies that have very little fiscal autonomy. With the exception of the Northern Ireland Economic Councils study (Bradley, 1998), this issue has to date received little attention in the literature.