The Competitiveness of Industry in Ireland

This text evaluates the past performance and future prospects for Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. It explains the disappointing historical performance (employment and living standards) of the two Irish economies through examining the competitiveness at the sectoral level. The Irish economies have failed to catch up with average UK and European levels; the authors trace this to the productivity and size of major economic sectors. The book considers the relative efficiency of various sectors since the 1920s. Comparisons are made of competitiveness and productivity levels relative to Britain, Europe and the US. It emphasizes the extent to which other small and peripheral economies of Europe have overtaken the Irish economies and also looks at the possibility that the Irish economies share with Britain the handicap of a chronic shortfall in standards of education and training. The analysis accounts for factors such as industrial policy, the availability of generous government subsidies, the Troubles and the political partition of the island.
The analysis is directed towards the shaping of appropriate economic development policy and provides an evaluation of the claims made this decade as to the gains which could arise from greater cooperation between the Northern Ireland and Republic of Ireland economies, together with more unified policy-making.