Understanding Ireland's Economic Growth

This is an authoritative and topical assessment of Ireland's impressive economic growth record which has seen the country dubbed `the celtic tiger'. Ireland's economic performance over the last decade has been spectacular. National income expanded in the 10 years from 1987 at more than double the rates achieved by the US, the UK or the EU. Job-creation figures are equally impressive: by 1997 there were 23 per cent more jobs in the economy than in 1987, compared with 17 per cent for the US, 5 per cent for the UK and only 3 per cent for the EU. This book, written by a group of leading Irish economists, analyses the factors behind this dramatic growth. Among the issues explored are the long-term consequences of fiscal stabilisation, the contribution of FDI inflows and European Structural Funds, the increasing educational attainment of the workforce, and the wage moderation and peaceful labour relations that characterised the period. Developments in income inequality, unemploy-ment and social exclusion are also discussed, and the threats to continued success highlighted.