Category: Democratic accountability
A Defence of Taxation, Revisited
Nat O'Connor 10/03/2026
In 2014, TASC published A Defence of Taxation. Its argument in favour of progressive alternatives to reducing public services through tax cuts remains as salient as ever, and it is an appropriate topic to revisit on the 25th anniversary of TASC. The context has changed, but Ireland’s tax system is still unstable and unsustainable, despite …
Voices of Civic Engagement
Emma DeSouza 03/12/2025
Deliberative democracy has been on the rise globally as more governments embrace citizen participation as a tool in policymaking. Despite this …
Turning away from ‘Authoritarian Populism’
Tiarnán McDonough 18/09/2025
For the last two weekends in a row, protests in central London have given rise to scenes that have been reported around the world and will trouble …
Political Imagination and a Laboratory of Social Possibilities
Mary Murphy 28/04/2025
This short blog is an argument for civil society to grow its capacity to incubate alternatives and to promote the idea of a collective ‘laboratory …
The Speaking Rights Row
Tiarnán McDonough 27/03/2025
The scenes of disorder in the Dáil chamber yesterday will have alarmed many. The row between government and opposition over speaking rights has been …
Fighting for Democracy in an Age of Complacency
Shana Cohen 18/03/2025
The 2025 Programme of Government embraces ‘stability’ in a time of geopolitical upheaval and democratic backsliding. The new government’s …
6 Takeaways from TASC’s Workshop on Strengthening Irish Democracy in an Era of Democratic Decline
03/10/2024
On September 10th, TASC gathered a diverse group representing government, business, civil society, media, and community groups to discuss challenges …
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Contributors
Paul Sweeney
Paul Sweeney is former Chief Economist of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions. He was a …
Shana Cohen
Dr. Shana Cohen is the Director of TASC. She studied at Princeton University and at the …
Nat O'Connor
Dr Nat O’Connor is Assistant Professor of Social Policy at UCD, a fellow of the UCD …