Cathal O'Donoghue | Teagasc, Irish Agriculture and Food Development Authority (original) (raw)

Papers by Cathal O'Donoghue

Ireland, as in many other countries, has a set of regulations and customs that result in a large ... more Ireland, as in many other countries, has a set of regulations and customs that result in a large proportion of the population retiring from the labour market on or before a set retirement age, in Ireland's case 65 or 66, with 15 per cent of males and 3 per cent of females aged 65+ participating in the labour market after this point.

Abstract: In this paper we utilise microsimulation techniques in the form of an income generation... more Abstract: In this paper we utilise microsimulation techniques in the form of an income generation model and a tax/benefit model to estimate both the fiscal and net private return to education at a marginal level. This is carried out empirically using Irish data across the period 1987-2005 and is the first study to utilise these techniques in such a manner.

Abstract This report focuses on the relative poverty rate of Irish elderly, and aims to study the... more Abstract This report focuses on the relative poverty rate of Irish elderly, and aims to study the connection between potential changes to the state pension system and such poverty rates. The majority of Irish elderly depend in fact almost exclusively on the state old age or retirement pension as their main source of income, so that such changes are expected to have a noticeable effect.

This paper explores the role of labour market policy and institutional factors in explaining cros... more This paper explores the role of labour market policy and institutional factors in explaining cross-national differences in persistent earnings inequality in Europe.

Abstract The concerns regarding the economic insecurity stemming from earnings instability have b... more Abstract The concerns regarding the economic insecurity stemming from earnings instability have been gaining momentum in the contemporary political discourse. If earnings instability is as a proxy for risk, for risk-averse individuals, increasing earnings instability bears substantial welfare costs.

Abstract EUROMOD is a 15-country tax-benefit microsimulation model based on national household mi... more Abstract EUROMOD is a 15-country tax-benefit microsimulation model based on national household micro-data. It is designed to estimate the revenue and distributional effects of national or EU-wide changes in social and fiscal policy. In order to provide European results, and for results at the national level to be comparable, it is necessary to make adjustments to the input microdata and to adopt assumptions about the relative value of incomes across countries.

Abstract We propose a multi-stage modelling approach for simultaneously estimating the total numb... more Abstract We propose a multi-stage modelling approach for simultaneously estimating the total number and aggregate value of recreation-related visits to a small-scale community forest in the West of Ireland. Simulated spatially-referenced individuals from a spatial microsimulation model for Ireland (SMILE) who reside within the forest's catchment area are identified using GIS techniques.

Abstract As in many other developed countries, Ireland has experienced a postponement of maternit... more Abstract As in many other developed countries, Ireland has experienced a postponement of maternity. Whilst a number of authors have commented on this trend, suggesting greater female participation in the workforce results in delayed maternity, to date little research has tested this proposition. We develop a model to consider the main trends related to the phenomenon of maternity postponement, considering changes in first and later births separately.

This paper, using Ireland as a case study, examines the relationship between economic activities ... more This paper, using Ireland as a case study, examines the relationship between economic activities and river water quality. The stipulation from the EU water framework directive (WFD) that all surface waters in the EU must be of'good ecological status' by 2015 necessitate a quantitative understanding of the major determinants of water quality.

Abstract: Benefits and taxes vary greatly across the European Union owing to incongruent welfare ... more Abstract: Benefits and taxes vary greatly across the European Union owing to incongruent welfare and taxation systems. This paper analyzes how welfare states achieve insurance and equity objectives for residents who work in other countries. The aim is to evaluate the impact of unemployment benefits and income taxation on these frontier workers' welfare in Luxembourg and Belgium that exhibit similar welfare state objectives.

Abstract This paper considers the methodology of measuring replacement rates, comparing simulatio... more Abstract This paper considers the methodology of measuring replacement rates, comparing simulation based approaches, which simulate replacement rates for a representative sample of the population, with other approaches that simulate replacement rates for" typical" families or are entirely based on recorded household data. We emphasise the advantages of the first method.

Page 1. 1 Using CGE and Microsimulation Models for Income Distribution Analyses: A Survey Vaqar A... more Page 1. 1 Using CGE and Microsimulation Models for Income Distribution Analyses: A Survey Vaqar Ahmed1 Ministry of Planning & Development, Pakistan & NUIG Cathal O'Donoghue National University of Ireland, Galway, ICER, CHILD and IZA March 2004 Preliminary Version. Do not cite without the author's permission. 1 Address for correspondence: vahmed@gmail. com.

A government's role, as it relates to taxation and public spending, has never gone unquestioned. ... more A government's role, as it relates to taxation and public spending, has never gone unquestioned. Controversy arises from conservatives advocating fiscal responsibility and limited government intervention in a market economy. This supports the notion that taxes should be levied at the lowest possible level, specifically designated for the financing of the few public goods that only government can provide.

There are many people that I would sincerely thank for their contributions to this dissertation. ... more There are many people that I would sincerely thank for their contributions to this dissertation. In the first place, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Cathal O'Donoghue, whose guidance and support from the initial to the end enabled me to develop this piece of work. He shared his knowledge, insightful comments and hundreds of thousands lines of code from previous work which built the foundation of this research.

Abstract We measure the distributions of replacement rates in four European countries and conside... more Abstract We measure the distributions of replacement rates in four European countries and consider the forces both economic and demographic that drive these measures. Going beyond simple calculated replacement rates for” typical 'or” average 'households, we produce detailed distributions of net replacement rates in four EU Member States (Denmark, France, Spain and the UK) representing different welfare state regimes showing how many people in each country face different levels of replacement rates.

Abstract: This paper provides an ex ante assessment of taxation reforms being considered in Pakis... more Abstract: This paper provides an ex ante assessment of taxation reforms being considered in Pakistan, in order to widen the tax base and rationalise the rate structure of different taxes. Amongst the main proposals, those focusing on sales tax and agricultural direct taxes seem relatively more attractive. The former has the highest share in indirect taxes and is also easier to collect, while the latter is intended to bring the presently exempted agricultural incomes into the tax net.

Abstract: We develop and estimate a microeconometric model of household labour supply in four Eur... more Abstract: We develop and estimate a microeconometric model of household labour supply in four European countries representative of different economies and welfare policy regimes: Denmark, Italy, Portugal and United Kingdom. We then simulate, under the constraint of constant total net tax revenue, the effects of 10 hypothetical tax-transfer reforms which include various alternative versions of a Basic Income policy. We produce various indexes and criteria according to which the reforms can be ranked.

Abstract: This workpackage performs a simulation on the expenditure-enriched EUROMOD datasets for... more Abstract: This workpackage performs a simulation on the expenditure-enriched EUROMOD datasets for four selected countries. The simulation encompasses a decrease of social security contributions of the employees by 25%. The decrease in government revenue is compensated by a rise in the standard VAT rate. A distributional analysis of the welfare change is performed.

The lowering of trade barriers under the successive reforms of the pillar I of the Common Agricul... more The lowering of trade barriers under the successive reforms of the pillar I of the Common Agricultural Policy, the opening of the commodity markets to an ever greater number of financial actors and the uncertainty created by climate change, amplify both production risk and market risks for producers. This is particularly true for Irish dairy farmers, as they are export-oriented and their grass-based production system is closely linked to the cycle of seasons.

This paper charts the main changes in structure of the Irish system of tax and social benefits ov... more This paper charts the main changes in structure of the Irish system of tax and social benefits over the period 1955-2002. It analyses the evolution of the redistributive forces in the system over the period and considers the effect of the incremental reform on the complexity of policy and resulting impact on incentives.

Ireland, as in many other countries, has a set of regulations and customs that result in a large ... more Ireland, as in many other countries, has a set of regulations and customs that result in a large proportion of the population retiring from the labour market on or before a set retirement age, in Ireland's case 65 or 66, with 15 per cent of males and 3 per cent of females aged 65+ participating in the labour market after this point.

Abstract: In this paper we utilise microsimulation techniques in the form of an income generation... more Abstract: In this paper we utilise microsimulation techniques in the form of an income generation model and a tax/benefit model to estimate both the fiscal and net private return to education at a marginal level. This is carried out empirically using Irish data across the period 1987-2005 and is the first study to utilise these techniques in such a manner.

Abstract This report focuses on the relative poverty rate of Irish elderly, and aims to study the... more Abstract This report focuses on the relative poverty rate of Irish elderly, and aims to study the connection between potential changes to the state pension system and such poverty rates. The majority of Irish elderly depend in fact almost exclusively on the state old age or retirement pension as their main source of income, so that such changes are expected to have a noticeable effect.

This paper explores the role of labour market policy and institutional factors in explaining cros... more This paper explores the role of labour market policy and institutional factors in explaining cross-national differences in persistent earnings inequality in Europe.

Abstract The concerns regarding the economic insecurity stemming from earnings instability have b... more Abstract The concerns regarding the economic insecurity stemming from earnings instability have been gaining momentum in the contemporary political discourse. If earnings instability is as a proxy for risk, for risk-averse individuals, increasing earnings instability bears substantial welfare costs.

Abstract EUROMOD is a 15-country tax-benefit microsimulation model based on national household mi... more Abstract EUROMOD is a 15-country tax-benefit microsimulation model based on national household micro-data. It is designed to estimate the revenue and distributional effects of national or EU-wide changes in social and fiscal policy. In order to provide European results, and for results at the national level to be comparable, it is necessary to make adjustments to the input microdata and to adopt assumptions about the relative value of incomes across countries.

Abstract We propose a multi-stage modelling approach for simultaneously estimating the total numb... more Abstract We propose a multi-stage modelling approach for simultaneously estimating the total number and aggregate value of recreation-related visits to a small-scale community forest in the West of Ireland. Simulated spatially-referenced individuals from a spatial microsimulation model for Ireland (SMILE) who reside within the forest's catchment area are identified using GIS techniques.

Abstract As in many other developed countries, Ireland has experienced a postponement of maternit... more Abstract As in many other developed countries, Ireland has experienced a postponement of maternity. Whilst a number of authors have commented on this trend, suggesting greater female participation in the workforce results in delayed maternity, to date little research has tested this proposition. We develop a model to consider the main trends related to the phenomenon of maternity postponement, considering changes in first and later births separately.

This paper, using Ireland as a case study, examines the relationship between economic activities ... more This paper, using Ireland as a case study, examines the relationship between economic activities and river water quality. The stipulation from the EU water framework directive (WFD) that all surface waters in the EU must be of'good ecological status' by 2015 necessitate a quantitative understanding of the major determinants of water quality.

Abstract: Benefits and taxes vary greatly across the European Union owing to incongruent welfare ... more Abstract: Benefits and taxes vary greatly across the European Union owing to incongruent welfare and taxation systems. This paper analyzes how welfare states achieve insurance and equity objectives for residents who work in other countries. The aim is to evaluate the impact of unemployment benefits and income taxation on these frontier workers' welfare in Luxembourg and Belgium that exhibit similar welfare state objectives.

Abstract This paper considers the methodology of measuring replacement rates, comparing simulatio... more Abstract This paper considers the methodology of measuring replacement rates, comparing simulation based approaches, which simulate replacement rates for a representative sample of the population, with other approaches that simulate replacement rates for" typical" families or are entirely based on recorded household data. We emphasise the advantages of the first method.

Page 1. 1 Using CGE and Microsimulation Models for Income Distribution Analyses: A Survey Vaqar A... more Page 1. 1 Using CGE and Microsimulation Models for Income Distribution Analyses: A Survey Vaqar Ahmed1 Ministry of Planning & Development, Pakistan & NUIG Cathal O'Donoghue National University of Ireland, Galway, ICER, CHILD and IZA March 2004 Preliminary Version. Do not cite without the author's permission. 1 Address for correspondence: vahmed@gmail. com.

A government's role, as it relates to taxation and public spending, has never gone unquestioned. ... more A government's role, as it relates to taxation and public spending, has never gone unquestioned. Controversy arises from conservatives advocating fiscal responsibility and limited government intervention in a market economy. This supports the notion that taxes should be levied at the lowest possible level, specifically designated for the financing of the few public goods that only government can provide.

There are many people that I would sincerely thank for their contributions to this dissertation. ... more There are many people that I would sincerely thank for their contributions to this dissertation. In the first place, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my supervisor Dr. Cathal O'Donoghue, whose guidance and support from the initial to the end enabled me to develop this piece of work. He shared his knowledge, insightful comments and hundreds of thousands lines of code from previous work which built the foundation of this research.

Abstract We measure the distributions of replacement rates in four European countries and conside... more Abstract We measure the distributions of replacement rates in four European countries and consider the forces both economic and demographic that drive these measures. Going beyond simple calculated replacement rates for” typical 'or” average 'households, we produce detailed distributions of net replacement rates in four EU Member States (Denmark, France, Spain and the UK) representing different welfare state regimes showing how many people in each country face different levels of replacement rates.

Abstract: This paper provides an ex ante assessment of taxation reforms being considered in Pakis... more Abstract: This paper provides an ex ante assessment of taxation reforms being considered in Pakistan, in order to widen the tax base and rationalise the rate structure of different taxes. Amongst the main proposals, those focusing on sales tax and agricultural direct taxes seem relatively more attractive. The former has the highest share in indirect taxes and is also easier to collect, while the latter is intended to bring the presently exempted agricultural incomes into the tax net.

Abstract: We develop and estimate a microeconometric model of household labour supply in four Eur... more Abstract: We develop and estimate a microeconometric model of household labour supply in four European countries representative of different economies and welfare policy regimes: Denmark, Italy, Portugal and United Kingdom. We then simulate, under the constraint of constant total net tax revenue, the effects of 10 hypothetical tax-transfer reforms which include various alternative versions of a Basic Income policy. We produce various indexes and criteria according to which the reforms can be ranked.

Abstract: This workpackage performs a simulation on the expenditure-enriched EUROMOD datasets for... more Abstract: This workpackage performs a simulation on the expenditure-enriched EUROMOD datasets for four selected countries. The simulation encompasses a decrease of social security contributions of the employees by 25%. The decrease in government revenue is compensated by a rise in the standard VAT rate. A distributional analysis of the welfare change is performed.

The lowering of trade barriers under the successive reforms of the pillar I of the Common Agricul... more The lowering of trade barriers under the successive reforms of the pillar I of the Common Agricultural Policy, the opening of the commodity markets to an ever greater number of financial actors and the uncertainty created by climate change, amplify both production risk and market risks for producers. This is particularly true for Irish dairy farmers, as they are export-oriented and their grass-based production system is closely linked to the cycle of seasons.

This paper charts the main changes in structure of the Irish system of tax and social benefits ov... more This paper charts the main changes in structure of the Irish system of tax and social benefits over the period 1955-2002. It analyses the evolution of the redistributive forces in the system over the period and considers the effect of the incremental reform on the complexity of policy and resulting impact on incentives.