Ray Griffin

On the final day of Michael D. Higgins’s Presidency, I’m reminded of his inspiring speech to @setu-research.bsky.social and @ucc.ie Economy and Society PhD Summer School in 2015—welcoming him at the gates was an honour. www.president.ie/en/media-lib... Thank you, Uachtarán.

No oligarch left behind

Not really - metro takes at least 2 years of the entire capital budget. It is rotten value and serves a small sliver of the population. From Donegal to Wexford, there is a whole belt of Ireland starved of investment & economic hope. They vote indos now, maybe swing far right if this continues

Basically, everyone in Dublin (pop: 29%) wants, Dublin journalist interview Dublin academics. Dublin received 56-65% of capital spending since the bust. My region (9% pop) is denied €12m matched funding for our airport, 24/7 cardiac care and received 2-3% of cap spend since bust. Brutally unfair.

Regional imbalance: How Ireland’s regional cities’ funding compares to Dublin – and why it matters

The Dangerous Metaphor of Unemployment "Scarring" The concept of "scarring" in unemployment policy is a misleading metaphor with significant, negative consequences for individuals.

We say unemployment “scars” people. Is it a damaging metaphor that limits how we think about labour & worth.

New piece in Social Europe asking:

🔗 www.socialeurope.eu/the-dangerou...

#Work #Welfare #SocialEurope #FutureOfWork #NarrativePolitics

Great to be at the Sociological Association of Ireland Annual Conference 2025 to present a panel on our new publication “Digital Public Employment Services in Action” (open access doi.org/10.51952/978...)

#SAIcon25 #SociologyIreland @sociologyireland.bsky.social #SociologyUCC #SAI2025 #SETU @ucc.ie

An underappreciated global trend, is the spread of basic welfare-state institutions to middle and lower-income countries. For more insight, visit Chartbook Top Link. Subscribe here: tinyurl.com/3ezpyy2b

New social protection minister will manage around a quarter of state spending – it’s a job that requires fresh thinking As ministerial posts are divvyed up between Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael, one which is unlikely to attract much attention is the social welfare portfolio. Despite almost a quarter of state spending being...

Irish Social Welfare needs new thinking- is the new government up to the challenge? With Tom Boland m.independent.ie/business/new...

Congrats to Dr Niall Egan, Assistant Sec. Gen. of Dept of Social Protection on passing his viva🏆 🥳 👏 Many thanks to supervisors Dr @nessawinston-ucd.bsky.social and Michael Mulreany (IPA); and exam panel Dr Ray Griffin, Prof. @michellenorris.bsky.social & @naokody.bsky.social @ucddublin.bsky.social

I hope it's like the time I gave up Australian soap operas in 1989. Never looked back, and AFAIK the folks in Ramsey St & Summer Bay never missed me, or changed their abominable behaviour without my careful surveillance. When it's real and murderous it is worse, a la Adam Curtis's oh dearism.

Back to work I suppose.

Our house is a big fan of Rachel Allen's white chocolate and dried cranberry at this time of year.

Thrilled to be able to catch the Nevin lecture by the always brilliant Prof. Mary Murphy.

Poster for an event to be held in the University of Galway The problem of Critique and Truth-Telling in Public – a Symposium’ 26-27th April 2024, University of Galway, Arts Millennium Building G065 Convenors: Diana Stypinska (University of Galway), Tom Boland (University College Cork) Keynotes: Prof Frida Beckman (Stockholm University) The symposium is open to all and free to attend. Please email diana.stypinska[at]universityofgalway.ie directly for tickets.

Delighted to be presenting at this symposium in a couple of weeks. All welcome: email Diana (email in poster) for tickets.

‘The problem of Critique and Truth-Telling in Public – a Symposium’, 26-27th April 2024, University of Galway, Arts Millennium Building, G065
#socialtheory

Lay off the academic imaginary, I am trying to make a living here.

My opinion piece on how Government has failed the Irish technological universities... the promised transformation agenda of new programmes, disciplines, capital, funding framework, lecturer contracts, borrowing framework & student accommodation.... are all stalled. www.irishtimes.com/ireland/educ...

Fiercely dark & uncomfortably funny theatre about family grief and spectral encounters with lost children… I saw #AudreyOrSorrrow at the Abbey Theatre this weekend— a Christmas gift from my sister. Now left in tatters.... unpacking the semiotics of that gift.

Speaking at the @oireachtasnews.bsky.social Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform on how positive #datafication can improve governance and oversight of public capital spending. With Máire Henry dhb architects.