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Project title

The regional distribution of economic resources in Ireland has created winners and losers in environmental quality? Is government policy addressing this quality of life problem?

Primary Funding Agency

Environmental Protection Agency

Co-Funding Organisation(s)

n/a

Lead Organisation

University College Dublin (UCD)

Lead Applicant

Peter Clinch

Project Abstract

The major economic growth and development of the Irish national economy has been accompanied by the development of regional disparities within Ireland namely the creation of a dominant core comprising the Greater Dublin Area (GDA) and periphery. On average the GDA has higher incomes per capita compared to peripheral regions where income declines with distance from Dublin . A variety of regional policies have been implemented over the decades in an attempt to reduce regional income disparities that have persisted with Irelandis economic development. These approaches have encompassed various applications of regional policy from the development of regional growth centres to seeking economic convergence with the Regions of Europe. The most recent initiative is the National Spatial Strategy (NSS) which is intended to offer a means to ensure balanced regional development and reduce income disparities (GVA per capita) between the regions (Government of Ireland 2002).Most income measures suggest the existence of regional disparities in Ireland but there are a number of problems using income as the sole measure of regional disparities firstly pure income measures are not linked with the cost of living and secondly income measures do not capture quality of life disparities which include environmental quality disparities between regions. Objective and subjective measures of environmental quality of life in Ireland suggest that environmental quality of life in Dublin is lower than other regional locations in Ireland and environmental quality of life may in fact improve with distance from Dublin (Clinch 2002; Meredith and Commins 2004). With so much population and economic activity concentrated in Dublin and the GDA i?the environmental impact of increased development and enhanced prosperity is not without some cost in terms of increased commuting times chronic time shortages noise air quality and encroachment of urban areas into the countrysidei? (EPA 2004:261). Not alone are there disparities in terms of income there are also disparities in terms of the cost of living and environmental quality of life in essence there are regional disparities in quality of life in Ireland .The stated objectives of the NSS are to achieve a better quality of life for people a strong competitive economic position and an environment of the highest quality (Government of Ireland 2002). However most of the justifications and rationale for adopting the NSS by the Government are based on measuring showing regional income disparities and very little reference is made to environmental quality of life or other important components of quality of life. Regional policy such as the NSS should be seeking to equalise potential quality of life between the regions. Increasingly quality of life is cited as one of the objectives of government policy interventions yet information about quality of life and most of its components/domains with the exception of income is lacking. Without the necessary information required to inform policy decisions it is necessary to question whether current policy intervention is properly addressing Quality of Life and improving national welfare

Grant Approved

�58,741.20

Research Hub

Sustainability

Research Theme

Socio-Economic Considerations

Start Date

01/01/2005

Initial Projected Completion Date

n/a