Fionnuala Casey 
Dr Muiris MacCarthaigh (QUB) As governments across the globe grapple with the effects of the global financial and economic crises, the issue of public service reform has re-emerged as a key ingredient in the restoration of public finances as well as public trust in government. The content of these reforms varies considerably, however, ranging from … Read more
Grainne McKeever (Ulster) The process of welfare reform highlights the pressures on government agencies to deal with an increased number of claims, which has inevitably led to an increased number of individuals disputing the decisions made on their claims. A similar pattern is evident for other government agencies, including those responsible for making decisions on … Read more
Dr Aideen Hunter, Dr Jessica Bates, Dr Alan McCully and Dr Una O’Connor (Ulster) This presentation will offer insight into the potential for co-operation between small controlled and maintained schools in adjacent rural areas. It will draw on the Primary Integrating/Enriching Education (PIEE) project (2010-13), which involves developing cross-community partnerships between small rural schools in … Read more
Professor John Wolffe (OU) This presentation will examine the assumption that although the Northern Ireland community divide has been ‘sectarian’, it has not been ‘religious’. It will summarise research both on Protestant-Catholic tensions in Northern Ireland and elsewhere, and on the ways that ‘religion’ itself is understood in scholarly and popular discourse. Recent declines in … Read more
Dr Ian Shuttleworth and Professor Frank Gaffikin (QUB) It is often assumed that residential segregation in Northern Ireland always increases through time. However, early analyses of the 2011 Census showed that segregation fell between 2001 and 2011. This presentation will explore the possible population processes that have driven this change, and will discuss the impact … Read more
Professor Mike Tomlinson (QUB) For all the discussion around the needs of victims and survivors, there are few established facts on the impact of the years of violent conflict on the population of Northern Ireland. Population-wide surveys of people’s experience of the conflict are rare. Drawing on the Poverty and Social Exclusion (PSE) survey (2012), … Read more
Professor Alan Trench (Ulster) The funding of the Northern Ireland Executive (and other devolved governments) has always been central to their ability to provide the public services for which they are responsible. It affects all policy areas, as well as being important in its own right. But since 2007 there have been debates in both … Read more
Sally Shortall (QUB) & Roisin Kelly (NIA) The current Rural Development Programme (RDP), 2007-2013, is worth £540 million pounds to rural areas in Northern Ireland. This seminar considers if there are ways of making the RDP more effective. It considers the importance of the collaborative inclusive LEADER methodology that underpins the RDP for a post-conflict … Read more
Dr Ann Marie Gray (UU) Most countries are facing similar challenges with regard to ageing populations and financial pressures on social care. The need to address major deficits in adult social care policy in Northern Ireland has been recognised and there is an expressed commitment to addressing the over-reliance on residential care and support independent living. … Read more
Andy Percy & John Moriarty (QUB) Andy and John present different views on the question of teenage drinking. John highlights potential harms of an individual’s alcohol use to their peers and family. To minimise these harms, the best advice for parents and educators may be to discourage any early drinking. Andy argues that if teenagers … Read more