Premium
From Celtic Tiger to Crisis: Progress, Problems and Prospects for Social Security in I reland
Author(s) -
Hick Rod
Publication year - 2014
Publication title -
social policy and administration
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.972
H-Index - 63
eISSN - 1467-9515
pISSN - 0144-5596
DOI - 10.1111/spol.12067
Subject(s) - social security , retrenchment , economics , austerity , workfare , social welfare , welfare , celtic tiger , economic policy , development economics , irish , political science , market economy , law , public administration , linguistics , philosophy , politics
This article provides an assessment of the impact of changes to social security in I reland during both the C eltic T iger and crisis periods, comparing change in social security rates relative to prices and to median equivalized net income. It is argued that, contrary to some commentary, there was progress in terms of social welfare generosity during the C eltic T iger years, despite I reland adopting a low‐tax economic model. However, in the latter years of the C eltic T iger period, this progress was increasingly leveraged against precarious property‐related taxes. Following the collapse of the housing bubble, the bank guarantee and the bailout, there has been substantial retrenchment of social security, both in terms of cuts to some of the primary social welfare payments, tightening of scheme rules as well as more direct cuts to less visible schemes. The article provides an assessment of these changes, ending on a cautionary note in arguing that the prospects for the future do not augur well given I reland's continued commitment to a low‐tax economic model.