Social Justice Matters

Between July and December 2026, Ireland will hold the Presidency of the Council of the European Union . This quick explainer sets out what it is, why it matters, and what Ireland hopes to achieve during its six months at the helm of European decision making. 

Tom McDonnell is co-director of the Nevin Economic Research Institute and is based in the Dublin office. In addition to managing staff in the Dublin office he has co-responsibility for the NERI's research programme and for its strategic direction. He is also responsible for, among other things, the NERI's analysis of the Republic of Ireland economy including risks, trends and forecasts. He special...

We launched our socio-economic review for 2026 on Monday, 27th April 2026. This socio-economic review for 2026 presents ideas and proposals which would enable Ireland to respond to current challenges whilst managing change successfully, with the ambition to achieve a fairer, more just society.  At a time of global turmoil and conflict, Ireland faces the challenge of mitigating the impact of an ene...

Lisa Oelschlegel is the Coordinator of the Alternatives to Violence Project in Ireland, where she supports volunteers delivering workshops in Irish prisons on conflict transformation and nonviolent approaches. She has a background in peace and conflict studies and psychology, and brings over ten years of experience working across international development cooperation, local NGOs, and the academic...

Jeremy Moss is Professor of Political Philosophy at the University of New South Wales. He is the recipient of the Eureka Prize for Ethics and the Australasia Association of Philosophy Media Prize. He is the author or several books on climate change including: Carbon Justice: the Scandal of Australia’s Biggest Contribution to Climate Change ; Climate Justice Beyond the State (with Lachlan Umbers),...

Gillian Phelan is Head of Division, Digital Euro Unit at the Central Bank of Ireland. She chats with Susanne Rogers, explaining what the digital euro is and what it will mean for consumers in Ireland. 

Prof. Charles M.A. Clark, St. John’s University, New York presents his section on GDP, Wellbeing and Progress from our Annual  Sustainable Progress Index 2026

Stephen Morrison, Policy Lead with Housing Rights  and Gareth Redmond, Research and Policy Officer with Threshold chat with Susanne Rogers about their joint all-island study of the private rental sector  Renting on the Island of Ireland: An All-Island Survey of Private Rented Sector Tenants

Our 2024 Annual Social Policy Conference was on the theme of ' Managing Change to Build a Just Society'. Ireland is going through several major transitions, each of which is only going to deepen with time. While much is changing, many of the problems facing our society are long-standing: inequality, poverty, and under-investment in our social infrastructure remain major challenges. Although the ec...

Ber Grogan, Executive Director of the Simon Communities of Ireland and Carol Baumann, CEO of Galway Simon Community talk through their recent report :  Older Adult Homelessness in Ireland Information on Simon Communities across Ireland can be found HERE . 

Our 2025 Annual Social Policy Conference was on the theme 'Care in a Changing World', bringing together voices from across the care landscape — carers, advocates, policymakers and organisations — to explore how care, rights and inclusion must evolve in a changing world. Marianna Baggio is a research officer in the Social Policies unit at Eurofound ,working on aspects of the European Quality of Lif...

Dr. Naomi Feely is Policy Director with the  Children's Rights Alliance. She chats with Susanne Rogers about two recent documents related to measures tackling Child Poverty in Ireland.  Breaking the Cycle: New Measures in Budget 2026 to Address Child Poverty and Promote Well-being Anois an tAm: Breaking Silos, Building Futures: Cross-Sector Action on Child Poverty  

In Poverty Focus we examine the nature and experiences of poverty in Ireland. Drawing on the available statistical evidence, we outline how poverty is measured, the value of the poverty line and consider many of the groups in our society who are most exposed to living life below the poverty line. This year we pay particular attention to impact of cost of living pressures.  This episode is a chance...

Our 2024 Annual Social Policy Conference was on the theme of ' Managing Change to Build a Just Society'. Ireland is going through several major transitions, each of which is only going to deepen with time. While much is changing, many of the problems facing our society are long-standing: inequality, poverty, and under-investment in our social infrastructure remain major challenges. Although the ec...

The 2025 United Nations Climate Change Conference, or Conference of the Parties (COP) of the UNFCCC is the upcoming 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference, to be held in Belém, Brazil, from 10 to 21 November 2025. Our research and policy analyst Michelle Murphy briefly sets out what COP 30 is all about and what outcome is hoped for.  UN Climate Change Conference - Belém, November 2025 Deliv...

Steven O’Connell is the founder of Football Cooperative, an award winning social enterprise that places recreational football as a hook to bring men together to get active delivering positive health outcomes. Through a place based model, Football Cooperative incorporates a network of recreational football sites and volunteer Game Coordinators that lead out weekly games year round. Games provide an...

Our 2024 Annual Social Policy Conference was on the theme of ' Managing Change to Build a Just Society'. Ireland is going through several major transitions, each of which is only going to deepen with time. While much is changing, many of the problems facing our society are long-standing: inequality, poverty, and under-investment in our social infrastructure remain major challenges. Although the ec...

Dearbháil is the Chief Executive Officer of AONTAS, the National Adult Learning Organisation. AONTAS is an all-island membership based advocacy organisation that was established in 1969. Dearbháil is a passionate advocate and educator who has taught in Community, Further and Higher Education. In 2022, she received a DCU Alumni Award, and she was previously shortlisted for Excellence in Academic Te...

John Barry is Professor of Green Political Economy in the Centre for Sustainability, Equality and Climate Action at Queens University Belfast.  John delivered his paper, 'Just transition: a conflict transformation approach' at our 2023 Annual Social Policy Conference - A Just Transition - Conference Videos and Papers  

Liffey Partnership was established as a response to long term unemployment and poverty. They host and support a wide range of programmes dedicated to employment, education, community, enterprise, parenting, health and wellbeing. The mission is to bring people together to work for a fair and just society for all, aiming to strengthen bonds between individuals and communities and providing a path fo...

Our 2024 Annual Social Policy Conference was on the theme of ' Managing Change to Build a Just Society'. Ireland is going through several major transitions, each of which is only going to deepen with time. While much is changing, many of the problems facing our society are long-standing: inequality, poverty, and under-investment in our social infrastructure remain major challenges. Although the ec...

Lots of Summer Blockbuster reading! Research and Policy Analysts, Michelle and Susanne briefly chat initial takes on the National Development Plan Review and the Summer Economic Statement.   Summer Economic Statement 2025 National Development Plan Review 2025 Report on Stakeholder Engagement and Emerging Themes on Infrastructure Budget 2026 Tax Strategy Group papers NPF Implementation: Housing Gro...

Social Justice Ireland has long advocated that Government should commit to benchmarking core social welfare rates to average earnings to protect vulnerable households. This 10 minute lesson explains why.  Our podcast is featured as a Best Social Justice podcast on  MillionPodcasts  - a hand-curated database of amazing podcasts. 

Fairness must be at the centre of Budget 2026.  We are wealthier than at any time in our history, and yet almost 630,000 people are living below the poverty line, 190,000 of whom are children. Over 15,500 people are in emergency homeless accommodation.   Now is the time for Government to show ambition in delivering on its promises by running a progressive budget, properly funding public services a...

Dr. Mamobo Ogoro is a Social Psychologist, Scholar, Broadcaster and multi-award winning social entrepreneur. Mamobo’s PhD research focused on migrant identity and how systems of inclusion and exclusion impact belonging for migrant communities. As a result, she founded, and acts as the CEO of GORM, an award winning social enterprise on a mission to unify across differences and advance belonging for...