Conference Report - 'Boom to Bust: Irish Social Policy in Challenging Times'
16 Oct 2009
Despite its contribution to the global financial crisis unfolding since late 2008, neo-liberal economic thinking has remained powerful in the way problems are framed and solutions are posed. This is no less the case in Ireland, where the model of economic growth pursued since the late 1980s was internationally feted for following the precepts of free open markets and the subsequent trajectory from boom to bust has been one of the most dramatic in the current global crisis. Within the political and economic arena neo-liberal discourses and policy directions have dominated and become more entrenched as the economic crisis in Ireland has unfolded. Against this background the conference Boom to Bust: Irish Social Policy in Challenging Times, which was hosted by the School of Applied Social Studies, UCC on September 25th 2009, aimed to do two things. Firstly its purpose was to consider and debate the effect of the rapidly changed environment from economic boom to bust on the Irish welfare state and social policy, and secondly to attempt to provide a counterbalance to the dominance of economic discourse by examining the unfolding issues from a social policy perspective.
The day began with a keynote address given by Dr Mary Murphy of NUI Maynooth whose academic work includes analysis of Irish social security policy and the Irish welfare state, globalisation, and governance and institutions in Ireland. Mary is also actively involved in a range of community organisations and current campaigns against the austere social policy measures being considered in response to the economic crisis. Her paper, entitled ‘The Irish Welfare State in 2016: Copenhagen or Canberra’ included a critical assessment of developments within social security prior to the onset of the crisis, identified current challenges and considered the direction policy might take in post-recession Ireland. This address served as a very stimulating start to the rest of the presentations and discussions during the day. Following this, sixteen papers were presented which were broadly divided into four themes: the economic crisis, social exclusion and social injustice; relationships between social policy and the economy; issues in education; and issues and perspectives in the community and voluntary sectors. These papers were presented by a mix of people working in the academic community and within community and voluntary organisations. They brought critical insight and alternative perspectives to a range of topics and issues related to Ireland’s recession and emerging policy responses, including poverty, unemployment, homelessness, urban inequalities, pre-school education, access to third level education, as well as broader concerns such as the long term trajectory of Irish social policy development and the implications of financial globalisation and neo-liberalism. The conference ended with a second key note address given by Susan McKay who has recently become the director of the National Women’s Council of Ireland. Her paper, entitled ‘Spot the woman – what boom to bust tells us about inequality’ chronicled the lack of visibility of women regarding who is engaged in debate about Ireland’s economic crisis and what is debated, and pointed to the dangers this posed for women in terms of how policies are being shaped regarding unemployment, and supports for children and child rearing in particular. Susan’s reflections on the issues raised over the course of the day offered a cogent reminder of the continuing struggle for equality in Ireland and the particular challenges posed by the ambivalence demonstrated by many to these issues at the present time.
In all the conference provided a challenging and productive context for highlighting and debating social policy issues against the increasingly austere climate of Ireland’s boom to bust. It was attended by a range of people from various statutory, community and voluntary sector organisations along with academics, post-graduate and under-graduate students from a number of third level institutions.
Boom to Bust: Irish Social Policy in Challenging Times
was organised by Dr Fiona Dukelow and Dr Mairéad Considine from the School of Applied Social Studies, UCC. The full conference programme is attached below. The conference was supported by the College of Arts, Celtic Studies and Social Sciences, UCC and the Institute for Social Science in the 21st Century (ISS21).
<< Back to School of Applied Social Studies
Boom To Bust Conference Programme
