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Papers by Frank Barry

The Economic Appraisal System is used by the development agencies to assist them in deciding whet... more The Economic Appraisal System is used by the development agencies to assist them in deciding whether to provide support for enterprise development projects in Ireland. The model essentially involves obtaining conservative projections of tangible benefits, and costs for the project, assessing what proportion of the benefits are additional or new to the economy, and calculating the net benefits of the project over a set period. The agencies have used a system of cost-benefit analysis since the late 1970's. In light of the changed business environment in Ireland and the policy objectives set out in Enterprise 2010, Forfás with IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland commissioned Prof. Brendan Walsh and Associates, UCD to update the economic appraisal system, which was last up-dated by the ESRI in 1995/6. This report presents the results of this study.

It has recently been argued that several fiscal contractions can, through their impact on expecta... more It has recently been argued that several fiscal contractions can, through their impact on expectations, lead to growth in consumption, investment, and employment. Since such contractions typically occur because adjustment has been delayed due to fear of aggravating unemployment, the authors examine the hypothesis in a model with wage/price rigidities. The New Classical features of the model, however, allow expectational

Ireland is distinguished by the high degree of openness of its labour market and the importance o... more Ireland is distinguished by the high degree of openness of its labour market and the importance of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the economy. We develop a neo-classical growth model to explore the consequence of these characteristics for the response of an economy to the kinds of shocks that are widely recognised to have been of importance in driving the

Irish Studies in International Affairs, 2010

Policy Coherence for Development' (PCD) seeks to ensure that non-aid public policies are consiste... more Policy Coherence for Development' (PCD) seeks to ensure that non-aid public policies are consistent with a government's international development goals. In the light of a number of years of PCD reviews and institutional reforms at both EU and member state level, this paper reflects on the dynamics of the PCD policy environment and discusses five challenges for the PCD policy agenda. These include the opposing interests of domestic and development constituencies, conflicts between development objectives themselves, disagreements between experts on what 'good' development policy is, difficulties in identifying the true development interest of developing countries, and the growing heterogeneity between and within developing countries. While the challenges discussed in this paper have general relevance, we draw on EU and Irish policies to illustrate the arguments. We conclude with a series of recommendations on how these challenges might be addressed and how to make the PCD agenda more effective.

... edited by FRANK BARRY CONTENTS Introduction Frank Barry Chapter 1: The Real Convergence of th... more ... edited by FRANK BARRY CONTENTS Introduction Frank Barry Chapter 1: The Real Convergence of the Irish Economy and the Sectoral Distribution of Employment Growth Frank Barry, Aoife Hannan and Eric Strobl ...

FDI and the activities of foreign affiliate firms have grown dramatically in recent decades, both... more FDI and the activities of foreign affiliate firms have grown dramatically in recent decades, both in absolute terms and as a share of world GDP. Most explanations of this phenomenon focus on the impact of the macroeconomic environment on the choices facing individual firms over whether or not to engage in FDI. We focus instead on the characteristics of demand for the products produced in sectors known to be conducive to FDI. These characteristics are shown to help explain the recent growth in the FDI-to-GDP ratio.

It has recently been argued that several fiscal contractions can, through their impact on expecta... more It has recently been argued that several fiscal contractions can, through their impact on expectations, lead to growth in consumption, investment, and employment. Since such contractions typically occur because adjustment has been delayed due to fear of aggravating unemployment, the authors examine the hypothesis in a model with wage/price rigidities. The New Classical features of the model, however, allow expectational effects to be taken fully into account. While consumption and investment may rise, the authors find that employment is in all cases likely to fall; this leads them to believe that the so-called 'German view' is overoptimistic. Copyright 1995 by Royal Economic Society.

The World Economy, 2004

... As yet, however, they have not been heavily involved in outsourcing to the CEEC ... R. Portes... more ... As yet, however, they have not been heavily involved in outsourcing to the CEEC ... R. Portes (1997), 'The Costs and Benefits of Eastern Enlarge-ment: The Impact on the ... Blanchard, O. (2001), 'EUEnlargement and Immigration from Eastern Europe: Comments at a Conference on ...

The World Economy, 2000

For over 70 years Irish income per head remained at around 60 percent of the level prevailing in ... more For over 70 years Irish income per head remained at around 60 percent of the level prevailing in the country's dominant trading partner, the UK. Ireland began to converge rapidly over the last 15 years however, and parity has now been achieved with the UK and the overall EU. This paper analyses the changes in public policy that facilitated the turnaround in economic fortunes.

The World Economy, 2004

1 This suggestion of a possible doubling of trade with CEE countries concurs with the results of ... more 1 This suggestion of a possible doubling of trade with CEE countries concurs with the results of , who estimate a gravity model that takes account of the barriers to trade represented by distance and non-EU membership. Predicted effects are much larger of course if partial income convergence of the CEECs on the EU is also allowed for. 2 We exclude certain commodity categories where the entries are in single figures throughout.

The World Economy, 2004

Ten states, primarily from Central and Eastern Europe, will be admitted to the EU in 2004. The pr... more Ten states, primarily from Central and Eastern Europe, will be admitted to the EU in 2004. The present paper assesses the competitiveness implications of this enlargement for Portugal. Four specific topics are considered: the trade and industry effects, the implications for Portugal's ability to attract FDI, the likely levels and consequences of immigration from Central and Eastern Europe and the implications for Portugal's budgetary relations with the rest of the EU. JEL Codes: F14, F15, F21, F22

The Economic Journal, 1997

In Irish manufacturing, the foreign sector accounts for about one half of employment and some  ... more In Irish manufacturing, the foreign sector accounts for about one half of employment and some  % of gross output. The Irish experience therefore provides us with a textbook case study of the effects on an EU host economy of export-oriented FDI. We explore in this paper the structural changes induced by FDI and the effects of FDI on the determinants of growth in Ireland. We also consider some possible adverse effects that may be associated with such strong reliance on multinational investment.

Scandinavian Economic History Review, 2007

Ireland was one of the first countries in the world to adopt an FDI-oriented development strategy... more Ireland was one of the first countries in the world to adopt an FDI-oriented development strategy. It remains to this day the most FDI-intensive economy in Europe. These factors have helped configure the institutional structure of the economy to be able to respond rapidly to changes in the nature and requirements of the type of global FDI that an economy with Ireland's advantages (and disadvantages) could reasonably hope to attract. This paper analyses the changing characteristics of European-bound FDI since the 1960s and the co-evolution of Irish development strategy.

Review of World Economics, 2003

We are grateful to an anonymous referee, participants at the EEA conference in Lausanne, a CEPR m... more We are grateful to an anonymous referee, participants at the EEA conference in Lausanne, a CEPR meeting in Madrid and a seminar at the University of Manchester for helpful comments on an earlier draft. All remaining errors are, of course, our own.

The Economic Appraisal System is used by the development agencies to assist them in deciding whet... more The Economic Appraisal System is used by the development agencies to assist them in deciding whether to provide support for enterprise development projects in Ireland. The model essentially involves obtaining conservative projections of tangible benefits, and costs for the project, assessing what proportion of the benefits are additional or new to the economy, and calculating the net benefits of the project over a set period. The agencies have used a system of cost-benefit analysis since the late 1970's. In light of the changed business environment in Ireland and the policy objectives set out in Enterprise 2010, Forfás with IDA Ireland and Enterprise Ireland commissioned Prof. Brendan Walsh and Associates, UCD to update the economic appraisal system, which was last up-dated by the ESRI in 1995/6. This report presents the results of this study.

It has recently been argued that several fiscal contractions can, through their impact on expecta... more It has recently been argued that several fiscal contractions can, through their impact on expectations, lead to growth in consumption, investment, and employment. Since such contractions typically occur because adjustment has been delayed due to fear of aggravating unemployment, the authors examine the hypothesis in a model with wage/price rigidities. The New Classical features of the model, however, allow expectational

Ireland is distinguished by the high degree of openness of its labour market and the importance o... more Ireland is distinguished by the high degree of openness of its labour market and the importance of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the economy. We develop a neo-classical growth model to explore the consequence of these characteristics for the response of an economy to the kinds of shocks that are widely recognised to have been of importance in driving the

Irish Studies in International Affairs, 2010

Policy Coherence for Development' (PCD) seeks to ensure that non-aid public policies are consiste... more Policy Coherence for Development' (PCD) seeks to ensure that non-aid public policies are consistent with a government's international development goals. In the light of a number of years of PCD reviews and institutional reforms at both EU and member state level, this paper reflects on the dynamics of the PCD policy environment and discusses five challenges for the PCD policy agenda. These include the opposing interests of domestic and development constituencies, conflicts between development objectives themselves, disagreements between experts on what 'good' development policy is, difficulties in identifying the true development interest of developing countries, and the growing heterogeneity between and within developing countries. While the challenges discussed in this paper have general relevance, we draw on EU and Irish policies to illustrate the arguments. We conclude with a series of recommendations on how these challenges might be addressed and how to make the PCD agenda more effective.

... edited by FRANK BARRY CONTENTS Introduction Frank Barry Chapter 1: The Real Convergence of th... more ... edited by FRANK BARRY CONTENTS Introduction Frank Barry Chapter 1: The Real Convergence of the Irish Economy and the Sectoral Distribution of Employment Growth Frank Barry, Aoife Hannan and Eric Strobl ...

FDI and the activities of foreign affiliate firms have grown dramatically in recent decades, both... more FDI and the activities of foreign affiliate firms have grown dramatically in recent decades, both in absolute terms and as a share of world GDP. Most explanations of this phenomenon focus on the impact of the macroeconomic environment on the choices facing individual firms over whether or not to engage in FDI. We focus instead on the characteristics of demand for the products produced in sectors known to be conducive to FDI. These characteristics are shown to help explain the recent growth in the FDI-to-GDP ratio.

It has recently been argued that several fiscal contractions can, through their impact on expecta... more It has recently been argued that several fiscal contractions can, through their impact on expectations, lead to growth in consumption, investment, and employment. Since such contractions typically occur because adjustment has been delayed due to fear of aggravating unemployment, the authors examine the hypothesis in a model with wage/price rigidities. The New Classical features of the model, however, allow expectational effects to be taken fully into account. While consumption and investment may rise, the authors find that employment is in all cases likely to fall; this leads them to believe that the so-called 'German view' is overoptimistic. Copyright 1995 by Royal Economic Society.

The World Economy, 2004

... As yet, however, they have not been heavily involved in outsourcing to the CEEC ... R. Portes... more ... As yet, however, they have not been heavily involved in outsourcing to the CEEC ... R. Portes (1997), 'The Costs and Benefits of Eastern Enlarge-ment: The Impact on the ... Blanchard, O. (2001), 'EUEnlargement and Immigration from Eastern Europe: Comments at a Conference on ...

The World Economy, 2000

For over 70 years Irish income per head remained at around 60 percent of the level prevailing in ... more For over 70 years Irish income per head remained at around 60 percent of the level prevailing in the country's dominant trading partner, the UK. Ireland began to converge rapidly over the last 15 years however, and parity has now been achieved with the UK and the overall EU. This paper analyses the changes in public policy that facilitated the turnaround in economic fortunes.

The World Economy, 2004

1 This suggestion of a possible doubling of trade with CEE countries concurs with the results of ... more 1 This suggestion of a possible doubling of trade with CEE countries concurs with the results of , who estimate a gravity model that takes account of the barriers to trade represented by distance and non-EU membership. Predicted effects are much larger of course if partial income convergence of the CEECs on the EU is also allowed for. 2 We exclude certain commodity categories where the entries are in single figures throughout.

The World Economy, 2004

Ten states, primarily from Central and Eastern Europe, will be admitted to the EU in 2004. The pr... more Ten states, primarily from Central and Eastern Europe, will be admitted to the EU in 2004. The present paper assesses the competitiveness implications of this enlargement for Portugal. Four specific topics are considered: the trade and industry effects, the implications for Portugal's ability to attract FDI, the likely levels and consequences of immigration from Central and Eastern Europe and the implications for Portugal's budgetary relations with the rest of the EU. JEL Codes: F14, F15, F21, F22

The Economic Journal, 1997

In Irish manufacturing, the foreign sector accounts for about one half of employment and some  ... more In Irish manufacturing, the foreign sector accounts for about one half of employment and some  % of gross output. The Irish experience therefore provides us with a textbook case study of the effects on an EU host economy of export-oriented FDI. We explore in this paper the structural changes induced by FDI and the effects of FDI on the determinants of growth in Ireland. We also consider some possible adverse effects that may be associated with such strong reliance on multinational investment.

Scandinavian Economic History Review, 2007

Ireland was one of the first countries in the world to adopt an FDI-oriented development strategy... more Ireland was one of the first countries in the world to adopt an FDI-oriented development strategy. It remains to this day the most FDI-intensive economy in Europe. These factors have helped configure the institutional structure of the economy to be able to respond rapidly to changes in the nature and requirements of the type of global FDI that an economy with Ireland's advantages (and disadvantages) could reasonably hope to attract. This paper analyses the changing characteristics of European-bound FDI since the 1960s and the co-evolution of Irish development strategy.

Review of World Economics, 2003

We are grateful to an anonymous referee, participants at the EEA conference in Lausanne, a CEPR m... more We are grateful to an anonymous referee, participants at the EEA conference in Lausanne, a CEPR meeting in Madrid and a seminar at the University of Manchester for helpful comments on an earlier draft. All remaining errors are, of course, our own.