Ireland, also known as the Green Isle, is known for its sheep, wide meadows, and its mystical stories as well as for their hard-drinking men. For the rest of the world Ireland always was a kind of magic place, although their real history was never a fairy tale. Suppressed (with intermissions) by the English since the end of the 12th century, Ireland had to face many strokes of faith. They were persecuted and punished because of their religion; their land was dispossessed by the English landlords and during the Great Famine in the 1840s a million Irish people should have died. (cf. Donelly, Jim, p. 1) However, in the first half of the 20th century their fight for independence was rewarded and Ireland became a Republic. Even though, the development of an autonomous economy was no bed of roses for the newly founded Republic. In the 1950s a change in the economic policy made Ireland’s economy more liberal and open-minded to foreign investment. (cf. Kirby, p.12) Nevertheless, groundbreaking success failed to appear. As late as in the end of the 1980s Ireland’s successful story got going. From then on a rapid growth in economy took place and soon the Green Isle grew from a “Third-World-Country-in-Europe” to one of the wealthiest on the continent. Due to the just mentioned facts, Ireland was at the end of the 1990s in a fortunate position and a rich and productive country.......
Table of Contents
1. Introduction
2. Prehistory
2.1 Ireland’s economy after 1922
2.2 Development until the 1980s
3. Ireland becomes the Celtic Tiger
4. Growing of Inequality in Ireland
4.1 Income
4.2 Taxation and Social Welfare
4.3 Education
4.4 Poverty
4.5 Health Care System
4.6 The Irish Dilemma
5. Recent Present and Future
6. Conclusion
Research Objective and Scope
This paper investigates the socioeconomic development of Ireland during the "Celtic Tiger" era to determine whether the country's rapid economic growth was achieved at the cost of its social stability and equity. It critically examines the paradox of Ireland's transformation from a struggling economy to a wealthy nation, while simultaneously witnessing a widening gap between rich and poor and the marginalization of vulnerable groups.
- Historical context of Irish economic development since 1922
- The drivers behind the "Celtic Tiger" economic boom
- Analysis of rising inequality in income, taxation, and social welfare
- Evaluation of social disparities in education and the healthcare system
- The impact of the global economic crisis on Ireland's future stability
Excerpt from the Book
4.5 Health Care System
Recently, we have a big discussion about a lot of different health systems all over the world. One of the worst is the American Health Care System, the German Health Care System is getting worse and worse and the Irish Health Care System is also not well-off. An indicator for this is the increase of private insured people, which was 20 per cent in the 1980s and is 50 per cent by now, showing the dissatisfaction with the public health care system. A so called two-tier system has developed, with people on the one hand, that cannot afford a private insurance and have to accept the bad public conditions, and, the higher earners on the other side, who spend money for a private insurance and enjoy advantages.
The consultants are paid better for treating the people with private health insurance (PHI) and so they prefer these patients. As a consequence, waiting times for public insured people are much longer and they have to stand various disadvantages, e.g. the choice of doctors is limited. In fact, the mortality rate among children is higher, and men die twice as often because of a heart attack than the private insured. (Kirby, p. 61f) There are 18 private hospitals Ireland and they provide 50 per cent of the overall beds for psychiatric and acute stock of beds. Private hospitals offer specialized surgery, psychiatric care and maternity precaution whereas the public hospitals stand first and foremost for emergency services and minor operations. (Colombo & Tapay, p. 16)
Summary of Chapters
1. Introduction: Outlines the historical struggles of Ireland and introduces the central tension between its economic emergence as the "Celtic Tiger" and the resulting social exclusion.
2. Prehistory: Provides an overview of Irish economic history from 1922 to the 1980s, tracing the shift from agricultural dependence to early liberalization.
3. Ireland becomes the Celtic Tiger: Explores the factors—such as foreign investment, EU support, and trade competitiveness—that drove the rapid economic growth starting in the late 1980s.
4. Growing of Inequality in Ireland: Investigates the negative social consequences of the boom, focusing on widening income gaps, regressive taxation, unequal educational opportunities, poverty rates, and the two-tier healthcare system.
5. Recent Present and Future: Analyzes the vulnerability of the Irish economy to global shifts, noting the onset of the 2008 recession and the challenges it poses for future social policy.
6. Conclusion: Summarizes how Ireland's model of development created a "Janus-faced" reality, balancing economic success with significant social deficits and potential instability.
Keywords
Celtic Tiger, Ireland, Inequality, Economic Growth, Social Welfare, Taxation, Poverty, Healthcare System, Education, Globalization, Recession, Foreign Direct Investment, Social Exclusion, Income Gap, Socioeconomic Policy
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the core focus of this research paper?
The paper focuses on analyzing whether the economic success of Ireland during the "Celtic Tiger" period resulted in a neglected social state and increased inequality.
What are the primary themes discussed?
Key themes include historical economic development, the mechanisms of the Celtic Tiger boom, rising income inequality, social welfare policy, and disparities in education and health access.
What is the central research question?
The research asks if Ireland's transition to a competitive, industrial economy was achieved at the expense of its people's social well-being.
Which methodology does the author employ?
The paper uses an analytical and historical approach, relying on secondary data from institutions like the CSO, ESRI, and various economic theorists to evaluate social and economic trends.
What is covered in the main body of the work?
The main body systematically reviews the pre-boom history, the causes of the economic surge, and then provides a detailed critique of the resulting social stratification in various public sectors.
Which terms best characterize this work?
The work is characterized by terms such as socioeconomic inequality, the Celtic Tiger phenomenon, and critical analysis of public welfare systems.
What does the author conclude about the Irish "two-tier" health system?
The author argues that a two-tier system has emerged where the wealthy purchase private care to avoid the poor conditions of public hospitals, which effectively reduces access and quality for the lower-income population.
How did the 2008 financial crisis impact the author's argument?
The crisis serves as proof of Ireland's vulnerable economic model, illustrating that a focus solely on global investment without building a robust social safety net left the country exposed when the bubble burst.
- Quote paper
- Stefanie Heidel (Author), 2009, Inequality in Ireland, Munich, GRIN Verlag, https://www.grin.com/document/137170
