The economy of Northern Ireland is characterised by a public sector that is proportionately larger than for the UK as a whole.  Counting employment in devolved services, and in those functions such as law and order that are presently reserved or excepted services, some 215,000 people work in the public sector out of a total employed population of around 677,000 or about 31 per cent.  Of course, these raw figures have to be treated carefully because the employment rate in Northern Ireland is below the UK average.  Adjusting for this reduced the proportion of public sector jobs in the region to 29 per cent of employee jobs which is still well above the UK figure of around 23 per cent.

It is impossible to ignore the influence of such a significant sector which is largely budget rather than market driven when considering the overall performance of the economy.  Despite this, analysis of public sector performance and the interaction of the sector with the rest of the economy has largely been ignored as a serious topic of investigation.  Discussion of the role of the public sector typically becomes polarised between the view that it is wholly benevolent in meeting the needs of the population and providing a measure of stability against the vagaries of the market economy and the counter argument that it discourages enterprise and takes up too much of the scarce talent available for producing wealth in Northern Ireland.  A more balanced view, based on analysis and evidence, is needed.

The programme of work proposed by ERINI is an attempt to address this deficiency and to inform the debate about the performance and future of the public sector beyond that which currently exists.

Public Expenditure Priorities and Economic Performance
This is essentially a ground clearing project to look at what is being publicly funded in Northern Ireland, where the demand and supply chains are and how this impacts on the performance of the economy.  Since the sector as a whole spends in the order of £10 billion per year on purchasing goods and services (including labour) it is of some interest to see where this money goes and how much of it leaks out of Northern Ireland.

Public Expenditure on Children in Northern Ireland
The Office of the Commissioner for Children and Young People (NICCY) commissioned ERINI to undertake a study into how the public funding provision for children and young people in Northern Ireland compares with the rest of the UK.  The research aim was to conduct an in-depth study comparing Government funding in Northern Ireland for children and young people with the funding in the UK, and specifically assess if children and young people in greatest need have benefited (or otherwise) in comparison to their counterparts in the rest of the UK.  The first draft was completed in Octoner 2006.

Researcher
^{Angela McGowan}

Completed Work
^{An Analysis of Public Expenditure on Children in Northern Ireland - PART ONE - Spending on Children’s Services}