Covid-19 Working Paper Series

The Covid-19 pandemic presents a very significant public health and public policy challenge to our country, and indeed globally. NESC are acutely aware of this and are undertaking research to contribute to Ireland’s policy response. This will supplement our recently completed research on economic transition, that is relevant to Covid-19, dealing with employment vulnerability and building resilience in times of economic change (see here). The purpose of this ongoing work is to provide timely, concise analysis for policy-makers and other stakeholders.

This section of our website provides some of the output of this work. For example, the Secretariat are actively reviewing the latest policy developments and literature related to Covid-19, and monitoring events in other countries in key policy areas. Areas of research include Ireland’s transition to recovery, enterprise/employee supports, behavioural change and insights, social policy responses, and sustainable recovery.

This research work, in normal circumstances, would be used to produce NESC reports, which would be published following detailed deliberation by the Council. By putting it in the public domain earlier, it is hoped this research can help those now working on Ireland’s response to Covid-19. It will also inform Ireland’s discussion of its recovery from the Covid-19 crisis.

Given the nature of the crisis, this area of the website is a work-in-progress and will be updated on a regular basis in as timely a manner as possible.