Welfare Reform on the Web (May 2007): Community Regeneration and Development - Overseas

Developing the social economy in Ireland?

P. Teague

International Journal of Urban and Regional Research, vol. 31, 2007, p.91-108

Ireland has a strong tradition of mutual aid and voluntary action. However, in spite of this promising environment, a government programme launched in 2001 to boost social enterprises and the social economy failed and was closed after only two years. Factors contributing to the failure of the programme are identified by the author as: 1) the overburdening of initiatives with unrealistic objectives; 2) insufficiently ambitious community-based employment initiatives designed to improve labour market access for disadvantaged people; and 3) failure to establish institutional conditions necessary to promote the social economy.