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Introduction - Vol 1
No full textThis article announces and details the rationale and aims for the Irish Journal of Arts Management and Cultural Policy from the perspective of the Editorial Board.
We are delighted to launch the Irish Journal of Arts Management and Cultural Policy. As a peer-reviewed, open access e-journal, this platform will publish original research on the arts and cultural sector in Ireland. We hope it will serve as a gathering place for critical thinking and constructive debate on the challenges and opportunities facing arts professionals in Ireland. This inaugural issue is only the start of what we hope will be a shared discussion on a wide spectrum of topics encompassing arts and cultural management; governance; policy decisions/outcomes; cultural economics; arts education; social practices and cultural production. While democratic governments will always need the freedom to respond tactically to circumstances, policy decisions that are concerned with equity, integrity and credibility, must also be rooted in longer-term analysis, critique and a transparent articulation and consideration of principles. As we continue to face new challenges, we hope the Irish Journal of Arts Management and Cultural Policy will serve not only to inform these circumstances but also act as an educational resource for arts management and cultural policy professionals and students
Towards Creative Europe: Irish Performing Arts Organisations and the EU Culture Programme
Get PDFThis paper presents statistical and qualitative research on the Irish peforming arts sector’s engagement with the EU Culture Programme from the Irish perspective with an emphasis on the performing arts sector arguing for a clear national policy on the provision of support to organisations in a position to leverage EU cultural funds.
Research was conducted to examine engagement with the EU Culture Programme from the Irish perspective with an emphasis on the performing arts sector. The research aimed to quantify actual levels of Irish participation and identify the barriers to, and benefits for, Irish performing arts organisations pursuing project funding from the EU Culture Programme. Extant statistical data was analysed to create a macro picture of overall Irish participation expressed through quantitative findings. These statistical findings were then examined through qualititative research conducted with individuals and organisations representing Irish international performing arts experience on either a practical or policy level. With an ultimate benefit to the artistic practice of the participating organisation, as well as to the Irish performing arts ecology as a whole, the research findings demonstrate the need for a clear national policy on the provision of support to organisations in a position to leverage EU cultural funds
Safeguarding Giving: The Volunteer and the Intern
Get PDFThis paper examines the growing prevalence and status of volunteers and interns in the Irish non-profit cultural sector in the context of rising unemployment and the development of new welfare policies after the 2008 crash, calling for greater transparency and policy development regarding volunteerism in the sector.
Levels of volunteering have risen dramatically within the last four years in Ireland. Unemployment inAugust 2012 was at 14.8%, and 50% of those volunteering are doing so to improve their job prospects. This studyexamines the growing prevalence and status of volunteers and interns in the Irish non-profit cultural sector. The rolethat organisational policy may play in the relationship between volunteer and host organisation within the context ofthe current economic climate is also investigated. The paper concludes that developing a volunteer policy can enablecultural organisations to ethically harness the valuable resource volunteers provide. Further, such policy developmentis an important stage in the volunteer management cycle for achieving best practice and avoiding job substitution
The Crisis of Financialisation in Ireland
Get PDFThis paper explores the intersection of national and transnational processes in shaping Ireland’s financial crisis. It uses insights from economic sociology to reconcile the analytical tension between an understanding of Ireland’s crisis in terms of the unfolding of an international process and explanations that focus on specific national features. A series of significant policy decisions in the late 1990s favoured financial markets in allocating capital and opened up significant institutional space for speculative lending. Underneath the apparently consistent expansion of the property lending bubble since the mid-1990s, there was a significant shift in investment logics from the early 2000s as both residential and commercial real estate spending became detached from underlying demand. This shift in logic was based on two significant “translations” of investment rationalities into justifications of lending and investment that underpinned the bubble. Irish banks’ own conceptions of risk and rational investments shifted subtly over time so that property lending was translated into a rational investment, encouraged by market dynamics such as increased bank profits, rising share prices and concentration of decision making power in the banking system. At the same time, and in the context of the establishment of the euro, investing in the assets of Irish banks was translated into a rational investment for international banks, in large part through the metrics of the credit ratings agencies. The paper concludes by revisiting the question of how we should understand the specifics of particular financial crises in conjunction with the general dynamics of financialisation – pointing to the importance of “translation” processes in creating social rationalities and the significance of “market liberalism” as a social formation in enabling these translations and promoting financialisation
Behavioural Economics and Policymaking: Learning from the Early Adopters
Get PDFThis paper critically examines initial applications of Behavioural Economics (BE) to policymaking. It focuses primarily but not exclusively on what can be learnt from the early adopters of policies inspired by BE, notably America and Britain. BE is defined by its inductive scientific approach to economics, which can produce empirical demonstrations that are persuasive to policymakers facing practical problems. The analysis identifies three routes via which BE has influenced policy: (1) the theory of libertarian paternalism (“nudges”), (2) the provision of toolkits for policymakers seeking behavioural change, and (3) the expansion of the skill-set of applied economists (and scientists in related disciplines). The effectiveness of each route is assessed, in terms of the likelihood of successfully integrating scientific advances with policy development. The analysis concludes that (3) is the only route that can adapt to the ongoing and rapid evolution of what is a young science. Successful policy development is more likely where there is expert input and the capacity to engage in applied experimentation, piloting and evaluation. The implication is that countries, including Ireland, are more likely to reap the benefits of BE if they create an active and effective interface between applied economists and policymakers
The Small Public Service Vehicle Market in Ireland: Regulation and the Recession
Get PDFThe small public service vehicle (SPSV) market in Ireland appears to have adjusted well to the changed economic circumstances since the onset of the recession. Despite this, a prohibition has been introduced since June 2010 on new taxi and hackney licences, while a series of measures are being introduced in 2012 and 2013 that are likely to limit the flexibility of the SPSV market to respond to changes in demand and supply, especially during busy peak periods, while at the same time obscuring market signals and making regulation more difficult. Taken together these measures mean that there is a real danger that when the economy revives and demand for SPSV services increases that there will be increased waiting times, as there were in the 1990s when taxi numbers were restricted, while fare discounting will end much sooner than it otherwise would. In this paper these issues are explored together with the implications for independence of the SPSV regulatory regime
Should Coal Replace Coal? Options for the Irish Electricity Market
Get PDFThe Moneypoint coal plant is nearing the end of its useful life and will need to be replaced. For Moneypoint’s replacement, we consider different types of baseload technologies: coal plants with and without carbon capture, combined-cycle gas plants and a nuclear plant. This paper compares how the different types of plant are likely to affect the net costs of the Single Electricity Market under a number of fossil fuel and carbon price scenarios and highlights their effects on short-run prices, emissions and energy security. We find that none of the plants considered is optimal over the full range of fuel and carbon scenarios considered and examine the advantages and disadvantages of delaying the decision. We also discuss why the commissioning of a nuclear plant is unlikely in Ireland in the near future
Understanding Taxpayer Behaviour – New Opportunities for Tax Administration
Get PDFThere is a growing literature on the contribution of behavioural economics to the design and improvement of tax policy. A less well-developed area is the potential for behavioural researchto contribute to better tax administration. Better understanding of the motives of taxpayers and their attitudes and behaviour towards taxation can improve both voluntary compliance and the efficiency of the tax administration. The literature suggests tax compliance is determined by five broad factors: deterrence; norms (both personal and social); fairness and trust (in the taxadministration); complexity of the tax system; and the role of government and the broader economic environment. Research in Ireland suggests that deterrence, the more traditional tool oftax administrations, is important but not sufficient to explain the level of tax compliance in society. Other factors are shown to be important, particularly the influence of personal norms and the level of trust in the tax administration. Perceptions of the prevailing social norms are also important determinants of compliance but appear to exert less influence on taxpayers than personal norms. The experiences of tax administrations in using behavioural research to influence taxpayers are examined and work in this area in Ireland is outlined
