Is Ireland Thriving? Answers from International Assessments

Abstract

The theme of NESC’s 50th anniversary NESC@50 programme of research and events is A Thriving Ireland: Inclusive, Protective, and Forward Looking.

This Secretariat Report examines the extent to which Ireland can be described as a thriving country with reference to nine regularly cited assessments (covering well-being; human development; sustainable development; transition performance; social progress; biodiversity; competitiveness; inclusive wealth; and the doughnut model incorporating ecological and planetary boundaries).

The approaches examined have limitations, yet their consideration is a necessary starting point in any discussion of a country’s social, economic, and environmental position. This paper reinforces the position that they can only be a starting point.