The European Commission uses the support provided by the European Social Policy Analysis Network (ESPAN) to inform its analysis of policies on social protection (such as pensions, long-term care, access to social protection for all types of activity status) and social inclusion (such as inequalities, active inclusion, child poverty and child well-being, access to essential services, homelessness, etc.) in the 27 EU Member States, (potential) candidate countries as well as Iceland and Norway.
A team from the Geary Institute were appointed Irish coordinators of the ESPAN in 2023. This team includes Prof Michelle Norris, Dr Laura Foley, Dr Dorren McMahon and Ms Lucy O'Hard (UCD Geary Institute for Public Policy) and Dr Micheál Collins and Dr Stephan Köppe (UCD School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice), Dr Marie Pierce (Maynooth University, School of Applied Social Studies) and Dr Mel Cousins (Trinity College Dublin, School of Social Work and Social Policy).
The ESPANs reports to which they have contributed can be downloaded below. Further information on the European Social Policy Analysis Network and copies of the reports produced on other European countries are available (opens in a new window)here
ESPAN Reports:
- Flexible retirement pathways - Ireland
- Flexible retirement pathways - An analysis of policies in 28 European countries
- Access for domestic workers to labour and social protection (Ireland)
- Access for domestic workers to labour and social protection - An analysis of policies in 34 European countries
- (opens in a new window)Ireland: Access for children in need to the key services covered by the European Child Guarantee (2023)
- (opens in a new window)EU: Access for children in need to the key services covered by the European Child Guarantee (2023)
- Country Report 2022-23 - Ireland