Documents

How do you manage a transition to a fundamentally new economic future? This question had been the focus of work at the National Economic and Social Council in the months and weeks before Covid-19. The Council’s work focused on how to manage the transition associated with climate change and digital automation. These challenges will endure beyond the current crisis and the Council have identified recommendations which will help Ireland address these and embrace the significant the opportunities. These are contained in this report.

ood jobs are needed on all parts of the island of Ireland. ‘Poor’ jobs, low pay and precarious forms of employment are not new and digitisation, climate transition and globalisation have the potential to create more. The Covid-19 highlighted the high societal value placed on jobs in sectors such as healthcare, social care, public transport, retail, hospitality, and other essential services. However, for many individuals these jobs are low-income and higher risk. ‘Good jobs’ policy aims to tackle these sources of deepening labour market inequality. A new NESC Secretariat Paper explains that a ‘good jobs’ agenda is a drive to improve the quality and productivity of work and the experiences, incomes and standard of living of workers. The agenda is focused on measures and actions to improve job quality within the labour market. The paper draws on interviews with stakeholders in Ireland and Northern Ireland and finds strong support for an all-island approach to ‘good-jobs’.

There is a prevailing narrative around the decline of rural areas in Ireland. This is not unique to the Irish context with international studies also looking at concerns around rural vitality. This narrative is associated predominately with a decline in the agricultural sector, urbanisation and the decline of opportunities in rural areas. This paper aims to quantitatively establish how rural areas have changed and qualitatively identify opportunities based on a group of an expert group.

Community Call has been an experiment in partnership between national and local government, and the community and voluntary sector. It was set up at great speed in response to a major public health emergency. It delivered co-ordinated support to vulnerable people remaining at home during Covid-19 lockdowns. This paper looks at how Community Call was established, how it has developed, and the learning from this innovative programme.

The Department of the Taoiseach has asked the National Economic and Social Council to produce a comprehensive report on the Shared Island in 2021, to inform the development of the Shared Island initiative as a whole-of-government priority. The NESC research will contribute to building a shared knowledge base and understanding about possible ways in which greater co-operation can emerge across a number of economic, social and environmental areas in Ireland, North and South, and also between these islands East and West. The research will seek to engage with all communities and traditions on this island to build consensus around a shared future, with a focus on actionable areas of cooperation. The work will be underpinned by the Good Friday Agreement and absolute respect for the principle of consent. The research will not address the constitutional question, but will focus on sustainable economic, social and environmental development issues, in line with NESC’s strategic remit.

In Ireland and globally, governments are grappling with how to bring about a recovery from the impacts of Covid-19. The context for action is still evolving, and uncertainty remains about the medical and epidemiological course of the pandemic. The scale of the urgency and level of transformative change required to deliver on Ireland’s 2030 climate targets and the Sustainable Development Goals cannot be overstated. However, there is strong agreement at EU level and in Ireland that the response to the Covid-19 crisis can also be used to tackle long-standing economic, social and environmental challenges. Given the scale of investment needed to address the impacts of Covid-19, there may be a ‘once in a century’ moment to reset towards a low-carbon and resilient economy, rather than return to normal. This Statement from the Council stresses the importance of grounding the recovery in sustainable development. It should be considered alongside the Council’s other work on economic and social issues and that of the Secretariat on the Covid-19 crisis.

As part of the Shared Island project, a Consultation Paper on Climate and Biodiversity Challenges and Opportunities was available in the first quarter of 2021. It provides an overview of the current state of knowledge and prevailing policy approaches for climate and biodiversity, in Ireland and Northern Ireland, touching also on UK, EU and international policies. Through a consultation process, the work will seek to incorporate the understandings of key stakeholders and form part of wider dialogue and engagement on the all-island dimensions of climate and biodiversity. NESC invited contributions and submissions to help inform this work and provide insights as to which of the areas outlined should be incorporated into its next phase of this research. This Consultation is Now Closed.

This paper outlines key impacts of Covid-19 on ethnic minority and migrant groups in Ireland. It presents an overview of available data, and identifies areas for further work. The paper provides some contextual information first, followed by an outline of issues arising for ethnic minority and migrant groups in relation to Covid-19 in the areas of employment and income, housing, health and well-being, education, immigration services, and discriminatory attitudes. A number of the problematic issues arising for these groups during the pandemic stem from pre-existing disadvantage experienced by migrants and Irish people of colour. However a range of supports have been put in place which aim to address some of the issues which negatively affect migrants and ethnic minorities during the pandemic.