In this new edition, the authors examine: Ireland’s hard landing and the prospects for a recovery in terms of economic growth; The changing role of the state in policy-making and the increasing importance of global and EU governance and institutions; The importance of competitiveness as a major policy objective and the effect that asset prices and the banking system have on this; The role of regulation, in particular the regulation of the banking sector Energy and the environment, in particular issues of security of supply, the importance of energy to the politics of the EU and the world, and the challenge of addressing climate change and biodiversity loss; Employment and migration challenges facing Ireland; Distribution issues relating to income and wealth, including the role of social insurance and the politics of equity and redistribution, particularly with scarce resources; The increasing importance of outward direct investment and the challenges facing the Irish manufacturing sector; The significance of education, both as a contributing factor to economic growth in Ireland’s ‘smart economy’ and in terms of considerations of efficiency and equity in the delivery of services; The importance of the health sector and the factors to be considered in its reorganisation with regard to delivering a more efficient and equitable service; The importance of the health sector and the factors to be considered in its reorganisation with regard to delivering a more efficient and equitable service.