Public Talk - Low Income in Ireland: a Profile and the Case for a Basic Income
10 May 2012, 12:50 - 14:00
Public Talk & Discussion with Dr Micheál Collins (Nevin Economic Research Institute)
Congress House, 32 Parnell Square: 12.50pm-2pm
The latest data on Ireland's income distribution show that 30% of households live on less than €21,000 per annum (disposable income), while 60% live on less than €38,000 per annum. Looking at the distribution of disposable income, in 2010 the top 10% of Irish households received more than 13 times the share of the bottom 10%; indeed the income share of the top 10% exceeds the combined share of the bottom 50% of households.
This presentation explores these income distribution trends - focusing in particular on low income earning households - and incorporates the results of recent studies establishing minimum income standards of living for Irish households.
The sustained nature and structure of these income divides implies a need to consider if it is appropriate to adopt alternative redistributive policies. One such path, considered in this presentation, is the adoption of a basic income system. A basic income is an unconditional cash transfer from the exchequer to all citizens on an individual basis. This paper considers the key challenges associated with any moves towards such a system, the appropriate level of the payment and the possible methods by which it would be financed.
There will be a 25 minute presentation followed by discussion.
About the Speaker Dr Micheál Collins is Senior Research Officer at the Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI). His research interests are in the areas of income distribution, taxation, economic evaluation and public policy. Prior to joining NERI he was Assistant Professor of Economics at Trinity College Dublin. He is vice-chairman of the Irish Social Policy Association (ISPA) and a former chairman of the Regional Studies Association (RSA) of Ireland. He was a member of the Commission on Taxation (2008-2009) and served as chairman of the Commission subgroup on Tax Expenditures/Tax Breaks. In 2011 he was appointed a member of the Government Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare (AGTSW). Micheál is a native of Ennis in Co. Clare and a graduate of NUI Galway, UCC and the University of Dublin, Trinity College. He is a fellow of the Regional Studies Association (FRSA).
www.nerinstitute.net
Venue
Congress House, Parnell Square