Research team: John Casey, Dr Ray Griffin, Dr Cormac O' Keeffe
Challenge:
The South East of Ireland has long experienced economic underperformance relative to other regions, marked by lower employment rates, out-migration, and weaker infrastructure investment. However, the absence of accessible, high-quality regional data meant that this underdevelopment was often overlooked in national policy debates. The challenge addressed by this research was to produce independent, rigorous, and timely economic analysis that could give voice to regional realities, counter data blind spots, and support evidence-based policymaking. By creating the South East Economic Monitor, this work filled a critical information gap and empowered civic, political, and institutional actors to advocate more effectively for the region.
Impact Summary:
The South East Economic Monitor has substantially changed public opinion and policy by using independent, accessible data to highlight regional disparities in economic performance, infrastructure, and public services. The Monitor outputs have shaped national media narratives, informed parliamentary debates, and guided local authority and ministerial decision-making. By filling a longstanding data gap, the research has empowered regional stakeholders, civic groups, policymakers, and citizens to advocate more effectively for investment and fair treatment. The work’s reach spans regional and national platforms, and its significance lies in its ability to reframe how regional inequality is understood and addressed in Ireland’s public and political discourse.
“This Government and my Department value an evidence-based approach as part of our efforts to ensure that work pays. In that context, I note the findings of the South East Economic Monitor as referenced in the Deputy's question in relation to examining income tax returns as a proxy for job quality and employment levels.” Frances Fitzgerald, Minister for Business, Enterprise and Innovation (2017).
The South East Economic Monitor, developed by the South East Network for Social Economic Research (SENSER), has made a sustained contribution to public policy and civic discourse by providing independent, high-quality regional economic data. It has reframed regional inequality, empowered stakeholders to advocate for public investment, and demonstrated how robust evidence can underpin persuasive economic cases.
The research tackled a persistent data gap: the South East consistently underperformed across economic and social indicators, yet these disparities were often overlooked in national policy. Prior to the monitor, no trusted, regular publication translated raw data into accessible, policy-relevant analysis. Since 2016, the bi-annual monitor has delivered impartial snapshots of employment, migration, income, education, and infrastructure using CSO and administrative data.
Locally, county managers and regional stakeholders have used the monitor data to support infrastructure bids, shape public consultations, and influence strategies such as Ireland 2040 and the RSES. Presentations to local government and Oireachtas committees reinforce this impact. Nationally, findings have featured in debates, parliamentary questions, and ministerial statements advocating balanced regional development. A notable example is the campaign for 24/7 cardiac care at University Hospital Waterford, informed by Monitor data and highlighted in an RTÉ Prime Time report. Coverage in The Irish Times, Irish Independent, RTÉ, and regional outlets has shifted the narrative from the South East as a neglected periphery to a region with evidence-backed claims for strategic investment, enhancing civic confidence and enabling more strategic advocacy.
The monitor demonstrates how data can drive public argumentation. Transparent methods, clear visualisations, and open access show how to meet the evidentiary threshold for public investment. Its approach has influenced government initiatives to strengthen regional economic reporting, extending its impact nationally.
Addressing Regional Data Gaps
The South East Economic Monitor was developed to tackle fragmented, under-analysed, and poorly communicated economic data in Ireland’s South East. This knowledge gap had limited effective policymaking, civic advocacy, and public understanding. The research created a replicable, independent, and methodologically robust model for producing accessible, policy-relevant regional economic analysis.
Novel Contribution
Rather than generating new data, the Monitor aggregated and interpreted existing administrative and survey datasets from sources including the Central Statistics Office and Higher Education Authority. This produced a coherent, longitudinal view of the South East’s performance across employment, income, education, infrastructure, demographics, and commuting patterns. The approach ensured comparability over time and against national averages, enabling stakeholders to benchmark regional performance effectively.
Research Design and Findings
Interdisciplinary and transparent, the Monitor applied econometric analysis, demographic projections, and geographical visualisation to uncover trends hidden in national aggregates. Findings revealed persistent underperformance in employment, graduate outflow, and infrastructural deficits, highlighting a structural lag in regional development. Inter-county disparities were also exposed, supporting targeted investment and intervention.
Independence and Communication
Maintained without external funding or client influence, the Monitor produced analytically defensible findings, even when politically inconvenient. Reports combined clear infographics with plain-language explanations, public briefings, media engagement, and direct responses to queries, translating technical research into a tool for civic engagement.
Impact and Legacy
Led by the South East Network for Social Economic Research (SENSER) at SETU, with key contributions from Cormac O’Keeffe and John Casey, the Monitor has influenced policymaking, media discourse, and public debate. Its methodology has inspired similar approaches in other Irish regions, demonstrating how rigorous, independent research can strengthen both evidence-based policy and civic confidence.
Webpage
Government
Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 23 November 2017
Media
- South East Economic monitor: No GDP growth in five years
- RTE Drive Time
- John Casey recently discussed the South East Economic Monitor with Damien Tiernan of WLR FM.
- Irish Examiner - Ray Griffin: Creating a university in the South-East is all about stroke politics, not education.
Research outputs
- O'Keeffe, C., Casey, J., & Griffin R. (2016/17/18/19/20/22/23). South East Economic Monitor. South East Network for Social Economic Research (SENSER).
- Griffin R., O'Keeffe C. and Casey J. (2018) South East Regional Economic Presentation to Waterford Council Economic Development Committee.
- O'Keeffe, C., Casey, J., & Griffin R. (2017) "On the allocation model for funding higher education institutions in Ireland”, submission to the HEA on funding of higher education.
- O'Keeffe, C., Casey, J., & Griffin R. (2019) “Submission on the Draft Southern Region Regional Spatial and Economic Strategy”.
- O'Keeffe, C., Casey, J., & Griffin R. (2018) “Ambulance times from SE region: Research note prepared to support evidence presented on RTE Prime Time television programme August 2018”.
- O'Keeffe, C., Casey, J., & Griffin R. “Commuting and the South East Region Some insights for debate - June 2018”.
