ESRI@50

The ESRI was established in June 1960. To mark the Institute's fiftieth birthday a number of special events are being held during 2010. Details of the events will be made available throughout the year.

Research Alumni

Over 300 researchers have passed through the ESRI since 1960. Many continued to do research - at universities and research institutes in Ireland, Europe and North America. Others moved to the public sector, international organisations, representative bodies or financial services. Some changed career direction completely.

We are trying to trace as many "research alumni" as possible with the aim of listing them on this site. If you are interested in helping with this project, e.g. in tracing early researchers or in writing a short piece about those now deceased, please contact gillian.davidson@esri.ie.

ESRI@50 Anniversary Events

Seminar on Environmental Policy and Projections for Ireland 
This Seminar was held on 18 February 2010.

Seminar "Changes in Educational Assortative Marriage – Implications for Household Income Equality"
By Professor Richard Breen (Yale University) Wednesday 10 March 2010 at 13:00

Geary Lecture "Social Mobility and Equality of Opportunity"
In 2010 there will be two Geary lectures held to mark the ESRI@50 Anniversary. The first Geary Lecture of 2010 will be given by Professor Richard Breen (Yale) on the topic of 'Social Mobility and Education'. It will be held in the ESRI on 11th March. Click here for further details. The second Lecture will be held in the Autumn. Details to follow. The Geary lecture is organised each year by the ESRI and honours Dr R. C. Geary (1896 –1983), the first Director of the Institute.

"Poverty and Deprivation in Ireland in Comparative Perspective"
A half day conference will be held in June 2010. More details to follow.

"Higher Education Policy: Evidence from Ireland and Europe"
This half day conference will be held on 8th September. Further details will be available nearer the time. Please contact Emer Smyth emer.smyth@esri.ie.

"Budget Perspectives" Conference
The Economic and Social Research Institute and the Foundation for Fiscal Studies (FFS) will hold the thirteenth "Budget Perspectives" Conference on Tuesday, 12th October 2010. Further details will be available nearer the time.

President McAleese marks ESRI's 50th Anniversary

In recognition of the important contribution of the ESRI to Irish society since its foundation in June 1960, the President Mary McAleese welcomed representatives of the Institute to Áras an Uachtaráin on Tuesday 19 January 2010.  Noting that the ESRI is not simply a household name but a trusted source of credible information and a body held in high regard in Ireland and internationally, she paid tribute to the vision of the founders of the Institute. The guests included Dr TK Whitaker, the Chairman, Mary Finan, members of the Council, former Directors Kieran Kennedy and Brendan Whelan and members of the current staff of the Institute.

Text of President McAleese's remarks.

Press release

History of the Institute

The inception of The Economic and Social Research Institute can be fixed as 24 June 1960, the date on which the Institute – then known as the Economic Research Institute (ERI) – was first legally incorporated. On the same date, the Ford Foundation in New York approved a grant of $280,000 to fund the new Institute for its first five years. A decisive influence on setting up the ERI was T. K. Whitaker, then Secretary of the Department of Finance, who in the course of preparing the major study, Economic Development, had identified the need for research on the Irish economy. Good data were available from the Central Statistics Office but these needed to be subjected to analysis using up-to-date quantitative techniques. It was considered desirable that this research be done outside the civil service in a setting free from government or political influence.  The Irish Government committed to finance the Institute at the end of the Ford Foundation funding. The importance of the Ford Foundation contribution lay not only in providing initial funding, but also in establishing an independent constitution for the Institute, which has been preserved ever since.

More information on the history of the ESRI.

More information about the ESRI.