Description
Book SynopsisOnce held up as a 'poster child' for the benefits of untrammeled capitalist globalisation, the Irish Republic has more recently come to represent a cautionary tale for those tempted to tread the same neoliberal path. The crash in the world economy had especially grave repercussions for Ireland, as it only narrowly escaped bankruptcy by negotiating emergency loans at punitive rates from the IMF, EU and ECB. A series of austerity measures introduced by successive Irish governments and overseen by the institutions of global finance has seen the country endure what some consider the most substantial 'adjustment' ever experienced in a developed society during peacetime. In this collection of essays, a range of academics, activists and political commentators delineate the reactionary course that Ireland has followed since the ignominious demise of the Celtic Tiger. A central thread that runs through the book is that the forces of neoliberalism have employed the economic cr
Trade Review
‘The word austerity, with its hint of a decent plainness and admirable self-discipline, is one of the more fraudulent of contemporary euphemisms. As this compelling volume suggests, it is rather a question of violence, deprivation and despair, as the powerful and privileged once more unload their problems on to the poor. There are many fine books around, but few are as urgently necessary as this one.’
Professor Terry Eagleton, Distinguished Professor of English at Lancaster University and Professor of Cultural Theory at NUI Galway
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Table of Contents1. Introduction – Colin Coulter
Section A: The political economy of crisis in Ireland
2. False economy: the financialisation of Ireland and the roots of austerity – Conor McCabe
3. Interpretations of the Irish economic crash – Kieran Allen
4. The perfect storm: crisis, capitalism and democracy – Sinead Kennedy
5. Ireland and the new economy – Angela Nagle
Section B: Casualties of the crisis in Ireland
6. Ireland’s disappeared: suicide, violence and austerity – Michael Cronin
7. The impact of the crisis on Irish women – Alison Spillane
8. Defiance and hope: austerity and the community sector in the Republic of Ireland – John Bissett
9. All aboard the Migration Nation – Gavan Titley
Section C: Lessons from the crisis for the Irish Left
10. Lessons from the era of social partnership for the Irish labour movement – Francisco Arqueros
11. Ireland, the Left and the European Union – Daniel Finn
12. Business is too important to be left to Irish business – Michael Taft
Index
