28 economists, social scientists and economic analysts have written an open letter, published in today’s Irish Times, arguing that the Government's economic strategy is failing, and warning that the current approach of spending cuts combined with tax increases on low and average income earners will bring about a low-growth, high-debt future ...
March 6th 2010: Speaking at the Sinn Fein Ardfheis, TASC Director Paula Clancy said that job creation must be the top priority when tackling inequality.
"Unemployment is a major driver of inequality because unemployment leeches money out of the Exchequer – both in lost taxes and in social welfare expenditure. This leaves less money to invest in capital infrastructure to improve the economy, less money for public services and less for social supports", she said. You can read the full speech here.
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March 4th 2010: Issuing TASC’s response to the Pensions Framework Document launched yesterday, Head of Policy Sinéad Pentony said that the proposals provided a positive basis on which to move forward. However, she stressed that the proposed supplementary pension should be fully administered, funded and delivered through the social insurance system, rather than through the private pension sector ...
February 25th: The Royal Irish Academy was packed last night for the first in a series of TASC Encounters. Well-known communications consultant and broadcaster Mark Mortell 'interviewed' Irish Times journalist and author Fintan O'Toole about the issues raised in Fintan's recent book, Ship of Fools. The discussion was followed by a lively Q&A session - and the debate continued over a glass of wine. Read on below the fold to see the video - and watch this space for news of further TASC Encounters ...
February 14th: Farmers’ wives are paying the price for the Government’s failure to reform our pension system and introduce a universal State pension according to Paula Clancy, Director of the equality think-tank TASC. Speaking this morning, Ms. Clancy said that the reversal of the decision to award pensions to farm spouses once again showed that women are particularly disadvantaged by the current pension system ...
TASCNet is a new network of people interested in working with us to help transform Ireland. If you share our vision of a more equal and democratic society, and would like to make a positive contribution to realising that vision, then 'Get Involved' by joining the TASCNet programme ...
January 21st: "Ireland cannot rely on personal pensions to improve income adequacy for lower income groups". That was the conclusion reached by several speakers at today's launch of Personal Provision of Retirement Income: Meeting the Needs of Older People?, edited by Jim Stewart and Gerry Hughes, which was followed by a presentation of TASC's updated pension policy proposals ...
December 3rd 2009: In its Pre-Budget Statement issued today, TASC estimated that tax breaks will cost an estimated €7.4 billion in 2009, and said that an overhaul of tax breaks could contribute significantly to the €4 billion cuts being sought by the Government in Budget 2010 ...
November 18th: Together with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, TASC today launched the Hierarchy of Earnings, Attributes and Privilege (H.E.A.P.) report, designed to present the facts about income inequality in Ireland in an accessible form. The report – which was authored by NUIG academics Professor Terrence McDonough and Jason Loughrey – comprises a poster illustrating the numbers of households at different income levels, broken down by occupational category and household type, together with an explanatory booklet ...
TASC is an independent think-tank dedicated to combating Ireland’s high level of economic inequality and ensuring that public policy has equality at its core.
Click here to read more.
Tired of reading the same commentators toeing the same economic line?
Read progressive-economy@TASC for an alternative take - and join the debate!
TASC provides research consultancy services in a range of policy areas, and is also happy to enter research partnerships with like-minded organisations.
For further information contact Paula Clancy, Director
TASC estimates that tax breaks will cost around €7.4 billion in 2009. Click here to read an overview, and here to read more about just one tax break - that for landlords, which will cost around the same in 2010 as the saving to the Exchequer from cutting Social Welfare rates.
TASC believes that, instead of a risky system of private pension provision dependent on equity markets and incentivised by tax reliefs, the existing Social Welfare pension – on which most people rely for their retirement income – should be increased and universalised. TASC also argues that a mandatory earnings-related social insurance-based second tier pension should be introduced.
Click here to find out more about TASC's pension policy.
Did you know that 50 per cent of higher earners would accept higher taxes in return for better public services? Or that 85 per cent of the Irish public believe the Government needs to take active steps to reduce the gap between high and low earners?
Click here to read the results of the 2008 survey, and here for the 2009 results.
Although written earlier this year, Professor Sean O Riain's thoughts on the role played by banks in economic development are particularly topical in the context of NAMA.
