Posts by Robert Sweeney

Robert Sweeney @sweeneyr82

Robert Sweeney is a policy analyst at TASC and focuses on issues surrounding Irish political economy and distribution. He has a PhD in economics from University of Leeds, which concentrated on financial markets and investors, banking, international macroeconomics, and housing. He is also interested in debates on alternative schools and methodology in economics, and ownership.

Fiscal Rules Reform

Robert Sweeney 17/11/2022

On Wednesday last week, the European Commission published a communication on the future trajectory of the Fiscal Rules, which have been suspended since Covid. The Fiscal Rules are probably the most important aspect of EU economic governance, and are of upmost consequence for the ability of member states to leverage public investment to meet …

Planning to freeze this winter

Robert Sweeney 08/09/2022

Much of the public’s attention in recent times has been focused on Ireland’s cost of living, in one form or another. For the last few years it …

Is there a progressive approach to construction viability?

Robert Sweeney 03/05/2022

Global inflation has been hitting most of us hard. It has the potential to derail, or at least wobble, Ireland's recovering housing market. The claim …

Supply and demand in housing

Robert Sweeney 19/10/2021

With the ongoing affordability problem, Housing for All, the recent budget, and more the housing issue isn’t going away any time soon. A regular …

Childcare: time for a new model

Robert Sweeney 31/03/2021

The pandemic has turned life upside down for everyone; people locked up in their apartments and houses, job losses, income losses, furloughs, lost …

The decline in inequality:

Robert Sweeney 30/11/2020

The latest CSO SILC release makes for some interesting findings. It shows that income inequality has continued to fall. This makes Ireland unusual …

Inequality, equal pay and the care economy

Robert Sweeney 10/11/2020

The distribution of both paid and unpaid care work in society is probably the single, largest factor affecting economic inequalities between men and …

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