Government Of Ireland Research Articles

Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann : The National Folklore Collection, University College Dublin

Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann:The National Folklore Collection, University College Dublin Ríonach uí Ógáin (bio) Ireland is renowned for its storytelling, folklore, and vernacular traditions. Cnuasach Bhéaloideas Éireann: The National Folklore Collection, University College Dublin (http://www.ucd.ie/folklore/en) is Ireland’s primary repository for such materials of traditional vernacular culture. The Collection is a public archive, currently accessible for the most part in person; certain elements, however, are available online, and the intention is to make significant portions of the Collection available on the Internet in the near future.1 This current essay is divided into three main sections. It begins by placing the Collection in its cultural, historical, and contemporary contexts. It then addresses the Collection itself and the material it has to offer in terms of folkloristics and other aspects of social and cultural research. The final section offers an example from the archive in the form of a single sheet of music transcription and its collecting that underlies the importance and urgency of ongoing ethnographic fieldwork as well as its potential. Cultural and Historical Context In the nineteenth century, as a reaction against the industrial age and also in connection with the advancement of nationalism, attention was given to antiquarianism and what might be called popular culture. Towards the end of the nineteenth century, storytelling and folk tradition in Ireland began to be recognized as relatively untapped aspects of cultural expression. Some work had previously been undertaken in the compilation of Anglo-Irish tales and novels, and many of these writers belonged to what was at the time the English-speaking minority. People then began to turn to Irish-language material. The American collector, scholar, and linguist, Jeremiah Curtin, was one of the first to collect in Irish-speaking districts of Ireland. He visited Ireland on three occasions and published a number of books. His first book was Myths and Folklore of Ireland, published in 1890. Although Curtin collected from Irish speakers, he did so through English and then published in English. Dubhghlas de hÍde (Douglas Hyde) was the first President of the Republic of Ireland and professor of modern Irish at University College Dublin, and he was the first to collect and publish stories in Irish. His passion for collecting tales and lore came from his love of Irish. In addition to the cultural and language revivals, there was also a broader political revival, with people collecting and using vernacular material for a number of reasons. Collecting tales was viewed as having particular merit, and the notion of a romantic, idealized past was often seen as reflected in the material itself—a view that would eventually underpin an attitude to Irish culture, language, and folklore more generally. While this work of collecting, publishing, and promoting was taking place through Irish, parallel work was taking place in the Anglo-Irish community—W. B. Yeats, Lady Augusta Gregory, and George Millington Synge are among the names most closely associated with these efforts. By the early twentieth century a particular emphasis was being placed on tales, legends, and beliefs. In addition, scholars began to come from abroad to study Irish language and literature. Traditional Material Found in the National Folklore Collection The person largely responsible for the establishment of Coimisiún Béaloideasa Éireann (the Irish Folklore Commission) in 1935 was Séamus Ó Duilearga (James Hamilton Delargy), who was Professor of Irish Folklore at University College Dublin (UCD), Honorary Director of the Commission, and editor of Béaloideas: The Journal of the Folklore of Ireland Society for a number of years. Ó Duilearga was an assistant to Dubhghlas de hÍde at UCD. Before the Commission was established there were two preliminary organizations devoted to Irish folklore: An Cumann le Béaloideas Éireann (the Folklore of Ireland Society) founded in 1926 and Institiúid Bhéaloideas Éireann (the Irish Folklore Institute) founded in 1930. The Collection is successor to the Irish Folklore Commission, which was established for the purposes of collecting, safeguarding, and disseminating the oral traditions of Ireland (Briody 2007). The Commission was established by the government of Ireland under the auspices of the Department of Education, and it appointed a number...

MARK FREEMAN, ROBIN PEARSON, and JAMES TAYLOR. Shareholder Democracies? Corporate Governance in Britain and Ireland before 1850.

MARK FREEMAN, ROBIN PEARSON, and JAMES TAYLOR. Shareholder Democracies? Corporate Governance in Britain and Ireland before 1850.

Shareholder Democracies?: Corporate Governance in Britain and Ireland before 185020131Mark Freeman, Robin Pearson and James Taylor. Shareholder Democracies?: Corporate Governance in Britain and Ireland before 1850. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press 2012. , ISBN: 13: 978‐0‐226‐26187‐4

Shareholder Democracies?: Corporate Governance in Britain and Ireland before 185020131Mark Freeman, Robin Pearson and James Taylor. <i>Shareholder Democracies?: Corporate Governance in Britain and Ireland before 1850</i>. Chicago and London: University of Chicago Press 2012. , ISBN: 13: 978‐0‐226‐26187‐4

Irish public opinion on assisted human reproduction services: Contemporary assessments from a national sample

ObjectiveTo measure Irish opinion on a range of assisted human reproduction (AHR) treatments.MethodsA nationally representative sample of Irish adults (n=1,003) were anonymously sampled by telephone survey.ResultsMost participants (77%) agreed that any fertility services offered internationally should also be available in Ireland, although only a small minority of the general Irish population had personal familiarity with AHR or infertility. This sample finds substantial agreement (63%) that the Government of Ireland should introduce legislation covering AHR. The range of support for gamete donation in Ireland ranged from 53% to 83%, depending on how donor privacy and disclosure policies are presented. For example, donation where the donor agrees to be contacted by the child born following donation, and anonymous donation where donor privacy is completely protected by law were supported by 68% and 66%, respectively. The least popular (53%) donor gamete treatment type appeared to be donation where the donor consents to be involved in the future life of any child born as a result of donor fertility treatment. Respondents in social class ABC1 (58%), age 18 to 24 (62%), age 25 to 34 (60%), or without children (61%) were more likely to favour this donor treatment policy in our sample.ConclusionThis is the first nationwide assessment of Irish public opinion on the advanced reproductive technologies since 2005. Access to a wide range of AHR treatment was supported by all subgroups studied. Public opinion concerning specific types of AHR treatment varied, yet general support for the need for national AHR legislation was reported by 63% of this national sample. Contemporary views on AHR remain largely consistent with the Commission for Assisted Human Reproduction recommendations from 2005, although further research is needed to clarify exactly how popular opinion on these issues has changed. It appears that legislation allowing for the full range of donation options (and not mandating disclosure of donor identity at a stipulated age) would better align with current Irish public opinion.

Shareholder Democracies? Corporate Governance in Britain and Ireland Before 1850. By Mark Freeman, Robin Pearson, and James Taylor. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2012. Pp. xiv, 389. $65.00, hardcover.

Shareholder Democracies? Corporate Governance in Britain and Ireland Before 1850. By Mark Freeman, Robin Pearson, and James Taylor. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 2012. Pp. xiv, 389. $65.00, hardcover.

The Euro Crisis and the Job Guarantee: A Proposal for Ireland

Euroland is in a crisis that is slowly but surely spreading from one periphery country to another; it will eventually reach the center. The blame is mostly heaped upon supposedly profligate consumption by Mediterraneans. But that surely cannot apply to Ireland and Iceland. In both cases, these nations adopted the neoliberal attitude toward banks that was pushed by policymakers in Europe and America, with disastrous results. The banks blew up in a speculative fever and then expected their governments to absorb all the losses. The situation was similar in the United States, but in our case the debts were in dollars and our sovereign currency issuer simply spent, lent, and guaranteed 29 trillion dollars’ worth of bad bank decisions. Even in our case it was a huge mistake — but it was “affordable.” Ireland and Iceland were not so lucky, as their bank debts were in “foreign” currencies. By this I mean that even though Irish bank debt was in euros, the Government of Ireland had given up its own currency in favor of what is essentially a foreign currency — the euro, which is issued by the European Central Bank (ECB). Every euro issued in Ireland is ultimately convertible, one to one, to an ECB euro. There is neither the possibility of depreciating the Irish euro nor the possibility of creating ECB euros as necessary to meet demands for clearing. Ireland is in a situation similar to that of Argentina a decade ago, when it adopted a currency board based on the US dollar. And yet the authorities demand more austerity, to further reduce growth rates. As both Ireland and Greece have found out, austerity does not mean reduced budget deficits, because tax revenues fall faster than spending can be cut. Indeed, as I write this, Athens has exploded in riots. Is there an alternative path? In this piece I argue that there is. First, I quickly summarize the financial foibles of Iceland and Ireland. I will then — also quickly — summarize the case for debt relief or default. Then I will present a program of direct job creation that could put Ireland on the path to recovery. Understanding the financial problems and solutions puts the jobs program proposal in the proper perspective: a full implementation of a job guarantee cannot occur within the current financial arrangements. Still, something can be done.

Fiscal Austerity and Devolved Government in the UK

Fiscal Austerity has arrived for UK governments, with a promise of more to come. The Devolved Governments of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland are faced with declines in the Barnett formula determined transfer payments from Westminster, which constitute the majority of their revenues. Sharp transfer declines, coupled with little or no ability to raise own revenues pose significant policy challenges for these Devolved Governments. Are the transfer payments and related cuts relatively fair across regions? Should the Devolved Governments have some fiscal means to respond to transfer cuts? Fiscal austerity also raises basic questions about devolution and selfgovernance for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

Dubsky v. Government of Ireland and Others

529War and armed conflict — War — Definition of “war” and of “participation in war” — Distinction between “war” and “armed conflict” — Neutrality of States under international law — Whether assisting aircraft constituting loss of neutral status — Effect of loss of neutral status on State — Foreign aircraft involved in military operations in Afghanistan — Whether Ireland permitting overflight, landing and refuelling of aircraft carrying troops and munitions to Afghanistan constituting participation in war — Participation in war requiring assent of parliament — Constitution of Ireland, Article 28.3 — Whether actions amounting to participation in war under constitution — Whether permissions granting assistance without assent of parliament unconstitutionalRelationship of international law and municipal law — Relations between States — Justiciability — Separation of powers — Matters of war and participation in war — Need for court to exercise restraint in assessment of war and participation in war — The law of Ireland

Regulating Islamophobia: The Need for Collecting Disaggregated Data on Racism in Ireland

Over the past 20 years, not only has Europe witnessed an increasing prominence of right-wing political groups, European governments have also moved to regulate Muslims and how they practice their faith.1 Contrary to this negative form of regulation, I propose through drawing on the theoretical insights of Michel Foucault that the agencies of European governments—focusing here on the government of Ireland—can regulate the societal position of Muslims in a manner that protects against Islamophobia. Islamic communities in Ireland are rich in their cultural and religious diversity. Nevertheless, there exists a paucity of data vis-à-vis Muslims and their experience of racism in Ireland. Put in an international context, Muslims are increasingly vulnerable to prejudice and discrimination on the basis of their faith and the ascribed negative imagery. I contend that the effective collection of data by State agencies is not only necessary to gauge levels of Islamophobia in Ireland, but that this data would also increase the effectiveness of State policies. Furthermore, I contend that if Islamophobia is to be challenged, moves must be made to pathologize this form of racism. This can be achieved by the systematic collection of disaggregated data that illuminates the levels of Islamophobia that exist in society. Effective data collection of this sort could be instrumental in increasing the utility of future State policies designed to combat racist sentiment directed towards Muslims as propagated by right-wing groups and others.

Matthew Potter, The Municipal Revolution in Ireland: A Handbook of Urban Government in Ireland since 1800. Dublin: Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland and Irish Academic Press, 2011. 491pp. 19 tables. Bibliography. €49.95/£45.00 hbk.

Matthew Potter, The Municipal Revolution in Ireland: A Handbook of Urban Government in Ireland since 1800. Dublin: Association of Municipal Authorities of Ireland and Irish Academic Press, 2011. 491pp. 19 tables. Bibliography. €49.95/£45.00 hbk. - Volume 38 Issue 3

American Government in Ireland, 1790–1913: A History of the US Consular Service. By Bernadette Whelan. Pp xvi, 299. Manchester: Manchester University Press. 2010. £60.

An abstract is not available for this content so a preview has been provided. Please use the Get access link above for information on how to access this content.

The Sovereign Debt Crisis and the New Boundaries of the Irish State

The full force of the sovereign debt crisis has been affecting Ireland for almost three years now, although it took most of that period for it to become starkly evident that it was the sovereign’s own credit which was impaired, and not merely that of the national banking system or even of certain banks within it. The budgetary adjustments required by the collapse in government revenues as a result of the spectacular contraction of the economy (which were merely confirmed by the Memorandum of Understanding between the Government of Ireland, the European Commission and the International Monetary Fund of November 2010) have required a far-reaching assessment of the structure of the public service, the services which it will provide in future and the terms and conditions of public servants. However, it is not merely budgetary constraints that are in play here. The failures in the policy-making and regulatory systems, which made a substantial contribution to property bubble and the ensuing collapse of the Irish banking system, have caused many to cast a critical eye on traditional ways of doing business in the political system and the public service. The strains imposed on the political and administrative systems by the necessary budgetary adjustments and by complying with the commitments undertaken as part of the “bailout” have also raised similar questions. The experience of the last two years has therefore led to calls for radical reform, from a constitutional level, right down to that of public service management. The new government, elected in February 2011 is committed to make many of these changes, starting with significant amendments to the Constitution; its ability to deliver a full programme of such reform remains in question, just as the viability of the macro-economic strategy that the bailout requires. Many of the changes envisaged in the way public services are defined, funded, organised, managed and provided are all the more radical in that they mark a sharp break, in practice, if not in theory, from the social partnership model which was in the ascendant during the boom years and which fell apart in the ensuing bust.

Partnership and Subsidiarity? A European Case-Study of Farmers’ Participation in Contemporary Rural Development

The governance and rural development model, using a 'bottom up' rather than 'top down' approach, is considered to be a conducive operational approach for developing a rural economy that contemporarily seeks to focus less on productivist agriculture and more on innovation and diversification (CEC, 1988; CEC 2007; OECD, 2006). The capacity of the governance and rural development model to represent a diverse range of interests and capacities for the purposes of developing the rural economy is hinged on a number of social, cultural and economic assumptions, however, among them the broad generalisation that local rural people are “competent actors in the development process” (LEADER European Observatory, 1997). Entrepreneurs who engage in ‘indigenising’ the local economy (tourism; organic and artisan producers) are often the new pioneers and traditional agricultural producers are often in the position of having to adapt to new development tactics, principles and norms. After almost two decades of the introduction of the governance and rural development model in Ireland through the EU LEADER programme, it is evident that a high number of officially categorised non-viable farming enterprises are persisting and that a significant proportion of farmers are failing to participate in contemporary rural development programmes. In mind of the principles of partnership and subsidiarity, understanding the circumstances of the non-engagement of a significant proportion of the farming community in Ireland is inevitably crucial for maintaining the legitimacy of the governance and rural development model into the future. Drawing from research findings generated by a larger research project, this paper reflects on how the contemporary rural development agenda has taken form and presents qualitative analysis of the socio-cultural factors that Irish conventional farmers identify as featuring prominently in their decisions not to engage.

Naturalistic study of crisis referrals to an Irish community adult mental health service

There is no agreed definition of a mental health crisis; however, a useful one is 'a situation where mental health has deteriorated to an extent that the user is likely to be at risk of harm to self or others and is in need of urgent intensive specialist support and treatment' (Minghella et al, 1998). Community-based care is the primary model of specialist mental healthcare in Ireland (Government of Ireland, 2006a). When clinically indicated, a patient with mental health crisis is referred to the community mental health team (CMHT) for an urgent assessment.

The political career of Michael Tierney, 1920–44

Although Michael Tierney became famous as a controversial, reforming president of U.C.D., he had been a ubiquitous figure in Irish national politics for over twenty years before. A radical member of Cumann na nGaedheal and a key intellectual influence on the early Fine Gael party, he reinvented himself as a political independent, and campaigned for a vocational model of government in Ireland in line with papal teaching. He was that rarity in Irish politics – a political conservative who was also a public intellectual, and who tried to build a political career based on the quality of his ideas rather than tribal loyalties.

Joined-Up Government in Ireland: From Un-Strategic Choices to Patriotic Imperatives

Over the last decade, joined-up government has assumed a prominent place in the study and practice of public management. In this article, drawing on the Irish case we adopt an institutionalist approach to the issue of joining-up government and bureaucratic reform. We explore how the period of sustained and rapid economic growth in Ireland during the 1990s was also characterised by a fragmentation of the public service and proliferation of agencies. Subsequently, as a consequence of the sharp contraction in public spending brought about by the global financial crisis, we find an accelerated process of public sector recentralisation, retrenchment and de-agencification. Much of this is occurring in an unplanned manner but under the generic banner of ‘joining up’ government. We identify the drivers behind these dynamics and how they have manifested themselves, as well as the changes to political-administrative relationships brought about by new initiatives, the power imbalances they expose, and ultimately their consequences on public service delivery.

Physicochemical and microbiological quality of harvested rainwater from an agricultural installation in Ireland

AbstractDublin Institute of Technology was commissioned in 2005 by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in Ireland to assess the feasibility of utilising rainwater to replace treated mains water for nonpotable uses. The project involved the design, installation, commissioning and monitoring of rainwater harvesting on a farm. Two monitoring programmes, Regime 1 and Regime 2, examined the physicochemical and microbiological quality of the harvested rainwater. Samples were taken monthly and tested. Regime 1 analysis showed that the microbiological quality of the rainwater from the site did not comply with the requirements of the European Communities Quality of Bathing Water Regulations, while the physicochemical quality complied with both Bathing and Drinking Water Standards with the exception of ammonia and lead. Regime 2 results showed a significant improvement and were compliant with the European Communities Quality of Bathing Water Regulations and showed near compliance with the European Communities Drinking Water Regulation.

Physicochemical and Microbiological quality of harvested rainwater from an agricultural installation in Ireland

Dublin Institute of Technology was commissioned in 2005 by the Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government in Ireland to assess the feasibility of utilising rainwater to replace treated mains water for nonpotable uses. The project involved the design, installation, commissioning and monitoring of rainwater harvesting on a farm. Two monitoring programmes, Regime 1 and Regime 2, examined the physicochemical and microbiological quality of the harvested rainwater. Samples were taken monthly and tested. Regime 1 analysis showed that the microbiological quality of the rainwater from the site did not comply with the requirements of the European Communities Quality of Bathing Water Regulations, while the physicochemical quality complied with both Bathing and Drinking Water Standards with the exception of ammonia and lead. Regime 2 results showed a significant improvement and were compliant with the European Communities Quality of Bathing Water Regulations and showed near compliance with the European Communities Drinking Water Regulation.

Towards climate adaptation and coastal governance in Ireland: Integrated architecture for effective management?

Abstract Coastal environments are susceptible to a range of impacts arising from medium and long-term climate change. However, as Ireland's population and industrial centres are concentrated in coastal locations, Ireland's coastal communities will be particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. Therefore, making the best use of existing knowledge to inform the establishment of governance structures capable of facilitating the measures and actions which may soon be required is a national imperative. Coastal communities worldwide have turned to integrated coastal zone management (ICZM) as a process to deliver sustainable development. This paper explores how experience gained from ICZM implementation can be harnessed to inform the development and implementation of climate adaptation policies, with a particular focus on the coastal zone. Using the principles and conceptual basis of Earth System Governance – an emerging approach to analyse complexity of governance under global environmental change – the paper maps the architecture of ICZM and climate governance in Ireland. The research identifies the main barriers to, and opportunities for, integrated application of the two policy domains. Barriers include the fragmentation of governance structures and responsibilities of key stakeholders, a lack of coordinated support for ICZM implementation at the national level, and a relatively weak awareness of the specifics of adaptation at the local level. Opportunities include the availability of expertise gathered from phases of ICZM implementation in Ireland, which encompasses mechanisms for science-policy integration, and invaluable experience of stakeholder participation and interaction. Current political and scientific support at national and EU levels give an additional impetus to climate research and actions which may bring additional opportunities and resources to coastal governance in Ireland.

Palliative care for cardiac failure in Ireland

Studies of Irish people suggest a preference for a palliative approach, with an emphasis on symptom relief, dying at home and on quality rather than duration of life, when they are severely ill with no hope of recovery. People dying from non-malignant conditions such as severe heart failure can have equal and sometimes greater palliative care needs than people dying from malignant conditions. Currently, specialist palliative care services are unevenly distributed in Ireland: only a quarter of acute hospitals have a full specialist service, while 19 % of palliative services limit in some way the services they provide for people with conditions other than cancer. The last decade in particular has seen a strong focus by professionals, activists and government in Ireland on improving and integrating palliative care for chronic, non-malignant conditions.