NESC
You are here
NESC - National Economic and Social Council
Related documents
- Opinions
Research Paper 24_Exploring Place-based Opportunities for Policy and Practice in Transition
Delivering effective regional development in a context of decarbonising the economy is not just challenging economically but raises the issue of social justice and equity. Ensuring a ‘just transition’ that appropriately addresses the needs and harnesses the potential of particular communities is therefore critical. This research paper explores placebased approaches to just transition in Ireland and the potential for adopting co-creation methodologies to identifying and implementing pathways to change. It draws on three case studies to understand perspectives on, and pathways towards, more climate-resilient and equitable futures in three areas outside the major metropolitan areas.
- ga
Exploring Place-based Opportunities for Policy and Practice in Transition
- Advisory Reports
The Covid-19 Pandemic: Lessons for Irish Public Policy (158)
This research from the National Economic and Social Council reviews international experience of emergencies and the Covid-19 pandemic, looks at examples of Ireland’s response to the pandemic, and identifies five key lessons for Irish public policy. These are:
Vulnerability is complex and context-specific, meaning pinpointing and managing vulnerability are crucial.
Stakeholder networks and experts shape outcomes, so the policy system must stay deeply engaged.
Real-time evidence, when used alongside longer-run data, has the power to transform policymaking, suggesting that the analytical activity which aided in the pandemic response can be applied in other areas of public policy.
Adapting the policy world to the data world requires significant effort, meaning that governance, privacy, access, confidentially and data-sharing issues must be prioritised and addressed with urgency.
Communication and trust are critical for responding to crises. Policymakers must improve their capacity to reach out, to listen actively, and to communicate clearly. They must also work to ensure their decisions deliver, and are seen to deliver, for society.
- ga
The Covid-19 Pandemic: Lessons for Irish Public Policy
- Reports
Secretariat Paper 30_Towards Transformative Outcomes: Examples of how Well-being Frameworks have been Embedded into Policy Making
This research looks at how national well-being frameworks have been incorporated into budgeting a nd policy-making processes in New Zealand, Scotland and Wales. It also looks at the approach taken under Ireland’s Better Outcomes: Brighter Futures – The National Policy Framework for Children and Young People, 2014-2020 (BOBF). BOBF is a sectoral policy framework, but has similar elements to those found in national well-being frameworks. Information was gathered through literature reviews and interviews with those working to design, implement and/or monitor the various well-being frameworks.
- ga
Towards Transformative Outcomes
- Advisory Reports
Shared Island: Shared Opportunity NESC Comprehensive Report (157)
As part of the Government’s Shared Island Initiative the Department of the Taoiseach requested NESC to undertake research and to produce a comprehensive report on the Shared Island, to inform the development of the Shared Island Initiative as a whole of Government priority.
This report is the culmination of research on the Shared Island that NESC undertook over 2021. This involved more than 100 meetings with practitioners, policy makers, academics and experts from a diverse range of institutions across the whole island, detailed work in the North West including four focus groups, a public consultation on climate and biodiversity, plus a number of NESC Shared Island publications on the economy, regional development, good jobs, climate and biodiversity, poverty and mental health.
The report makes specific recommendations across five key areas in relation to the economy and investment, social policy, climate and biodiversity, wellbeing measurement and data co-ordination.
- ga
Shared Island: Shared Opportunity NESC Comprehensive Report
- Reports
Secretariat Paper 29_Shared Island: Projects, Progress & Policy, A Shared Island Perspective on Mental Health
As part of the Shared Island research project this report from the NESC Secretariat looks at current and possible future co-operation around mental health on the island of Ireland, North and South.
The issue of mental health has become increasingly visible in the public arena over the last two years. The COVID crisis has brought with it a range of different issues that have had the potential to negatively impact on mental health. As many of the concerns and policies around mental health are shared by the two jurisdictions, it is a good time to look at how increased dialogue and co-operation on some aspects of mental health could bring benefits to the wider island population.
There are a number of examples of successful and current co-operation in the mental health sector. Some of it is led by the community and voluntary sector, often supported by European funding. In the border counties, there is also evidence of substantial informal interaction between services in the two jurisdictions.
This report finds that there is an appetite for more formal settings for co-operation and that there could be substantial value in building on current initiatives as well as looking at new areas of co-operation.
- ga