Joined-up government in Ireland:From un-strategic choices to patriotic imperatives

Over the last decade, joined-up government has assumed a prominent place in the study and practice of public management. In this article, drawing on the Irish case we adopt an institutionalist approach to the issue of joining-up government and bureaucratic reform. We explore how the period of sustained and rapid economic growth in Ireland during the 1990s was also characterised by a fragmentation of the public service and proliferation of agencies. Subsequently, as a consequence of the sharp contraction in public spending brought about by the global financial crisis, we find an accelerated process of public sector recentralisation, retrenchment and de-agencification. Much of this is occurring in an unplanned manner but under the generic banner of 'joining up' government. We identify the drivers behind these dynamics and how they have manifested themselves, as well as the changes to politicaladministrative relationships brought about by new initiatives, the power imbalances they expose, and ultimately their consequences on public service delivery. © Taylor & Francis Group, LLC.

Policy difference and policy ownership under UK devolution: social housing policy in Northern Ireland

This paper assesses the impact of UK devolution on social housing policy in Northern Ireland from 1999 until 2011, with a particular focus on the administration from May 2007 until April 2011, the first in which the elected elements of the process functioned for the entire period. Housing is one of the responsibilities of the Minister for Social Development. Northern Ireland has had a political commitment to the provision of good quality social housing for many years, both before and after the 1998 Good Friday/ Belfast Agreement and the establishment of the Northern Ireland Assembly and Executive in 1999.
The paper begins with an analysis of factors contributing to policy difference within the United Kingdom under the 1999 devolution settlement, noting that these factors may contribute either to policy convergence or divergence between the four UK jurisdictions. There follow reflections on the concept of ‘policy ownership’ in multi-level states and the benefits of this analytical approach for consideration of housing policy under UK devolution. A review of social housing policy since 1999 is followed by discussion of three key issues from the 2007-11 administration: the governance of social housing; the procurement of new social housing; and improving access to shared space and a shared future. The paper concludes that, in Northern Ireland, the 2007-11 administration marked a transition between a technocratic past and the future policy ownership of the social housing policy field by locally elected politicians. Reflections on wider implications for UK social policy, for UK devolution, and for the complex governance structures of devolved and federal states are also included.

Neoliberalising a divided society? The regeneration of Crumlin Road Gaol and Girdwood Park, North Belfast

Regeneration projects take place within complex local policy environments and are also influenced by the global doctrine of neoliberalism, although the degree of influence will vary depending upon the historical, economic, social and political context. This article reviews and reflects upon the complexity of a neoliberalising policy environment in the regeneration of the divided city of Belfast. The territorial conflict in Northern Ireland has been expressed spatially and has thus affected urban regeneration. These issues are illustrated by a case study of the regeneration of the Crumlin Road Gaol and Girdwood Park in North Belfast, which sought to include both a neoliberalised economic development agenda and efforts to improve community relations through the promotion of shared space. The paper asks whether the management of community cohesion in cities experiencing conflict requires state intervention that at times goes beyond the ‘roll out’ and ‘roll back’ distinction found in neoliberal theory.

Construction Dispute Resolution in Ireland during Recession: Best Practice for Small-to-Medium Enterprises

The purpose of this paper is to identify best practice construction dispute resolution in small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs) within Ireland during the recent economic recession. A sequential mixed methodology encompassing a detailed literature review, case studies, and questionnaire survey is adopted, with results analyzed using both exploratory (data reduction) and confirmatory (structural equation modelling) factor analysis. The results show that four core aspects should be adopted by SMEs to achieve best practice construction dispute resolution in recession: third-party intervention, adoption of a streamlined process, proactive party characteristics, and the use of legal professionals. Numerous studies of this subject have been conducted; however, no research has been done to date documenting best practice in construction dispute resolution within SMEs, particularly in light of the economic recession in Ireland. It is clear that dispute resolution in Ireland is currently undergoing fundamental changes, and time is necessary to see if the new Construction Contracts Act 2013 will help this practice. Therefore, it is a fundamental requirement for project management and legal professionals to acknowledge the changing environment attributable to the economic downturn and the resultant SME best practices in dispute resolution. This paper fulfills a gap in knowledge with the emergence of the economic recession and the evolution of best practice in dispute resolution within SMEs in the Irish construction sector.

Government Influence on the Construction Industry during the Economic Recession 2007 - 2013

Due to the high degree of international and economic integration across the globe, the 2007 global financial crisis quickly spread, causing recessions and widespread credit restrictions in advanced nations. During recessions, economic fluctuations cause dramatic changes to the market structure of industries, in particular, that of the construction sector. These structural changes can be further influenced by government strategies and policies; which if used incorrectly, can serve to fuel and exacerbate downturns. In contrasting form, during an economic recession, government strategies and policies can also be used to aid in exiting such economic turbulence. From an extensive review of literature it became apparent that very little research offered a comprehensive and systematic overview of Irish and UK construction related government policies and strategies adopted during recessions; hence the emergence of this topic. As part of an ongoing research PhD, the purpose of this paper is to collate and group Irish and UK Government strategies and policies adopted for the construction sector during the recession period 2007-2013; resulting in the establishment of a construction industry development framework and a taxonomic framework. The results reveal serious problems with the national strategic plan for the Irish construction industry, given that there is no overseeing body or target dates for implementation of the proposed actions. Furthermore, both countries failed to prioritize the proposed key actions within their strategic plans. The findings of this paper can be applied in the context of the construction sector to address shortcomings in the respective sub-sectors, while also aiding policy makers and company executives in mapping out future strategic milestones.

The Business of Building Peace: Private Sector Cooperation across the Irish Border

The sustainability of cross-border peacebuilding initiatives is increasingly pertinent in a context of reduced public funding (national and European), yet the potential contribution to be made to this from private sector cooperation remains under-explored. This paper brings together quantitative data on cross-border trade with qualitative evidence from business leaders in the Irish border region in order to examine the nature of cross-border cooperation within the private sector and its possible connections to peacebuilding. This evidence is analysed in the light of three theses: spillover, contact and business-based peacebuilding. The first part of this paper assesses the conditions for cross-border business cooperation in Ireland, including funding support for economic development, European integration, and (post-Agreement) institutional change. The second part examines the particular contributions made by the private sector to peace, centring upon consciously non-political motivations (such as pragmatism and profit), networking and leadership.

The neoliberalisation of the Cathedral Quarter and its contestations

Over time Belfast has been well researched as a site of ethnosectarian conflict, segregation and fear see (Boal et al 1976) and (Gaffiken and Morrisey 2011). The study of socio-spatial patterns of ‘ethnocracy’ is useful, but this article will argue how it is equally important to understand local forms of urban restructuring in terms of global processes that are linked to neoliberalism. To better understand the neoliberal urbanisation of Belfast this article is organised into two parts. The first part will demonstrate how the Northern Ireland State has sought legitimacy in the free market as ‘therapy’ for the production of neutral socio-spatial formations such as the Cathedral Quarter. Secondly it will examine this performance of neoliberal urbanism, as it ‘actually exists’ and demonstrate how market-led renewal has been extended through the clustering and non-sectarian interests, ‘soft’ arrangements of urban governance, cultural re-branding strategies, economic development incentives, and the development of various flagship projects. Critically this place-based grounding of neoliberalism is useful, as it also allows for the contestations of neoliberal urbanism to become real rather than just theoretical. The second part of the article will draw attention to the responses of local, and sometimes marginal, interests that have looked to challenge, adapt and, at times, divert the extension of market-led renewal. To be clear, this article does not want to overstate the performance of such interests. Nor does it want to claim that they significantly impact or obstruct the wider neoliberal urbanisation of Belfast. Instead it is interested in their behaviours and their different methods of working to explore what may be constituted as ‘alternative’, at least in the locality of the Cathedral Quarter. By studying how and why these interests have responded to the extension of neoliberal urbanism over time, it may just be possible to provide a better platform to articulate what more progressive forms of urban resistance might look like.

Piñatex, the design development of a new sustainable material

This is a research project by practice, which firstly develops a new material invention derived from natural fibres extracted from waste pineapple leaves; secondly it articulates the contemporary designer’s role in facilitating sustainable solutions through: Insights from my own material invention, PiñatexTM, which integrates the materiality of design with the immateriality of concepts and values Developing a visual model of mapping I began with these questions: ‘What are the challenges in seeking to make a new and sustainable material from the waste products of pineapple agriculture in the Philippines?’ and ‘How can a design practice link elements of materiality (artifacts) with immaterial elements (value systems) in order to improve sustainable social and economic development?’ Significant influences have been the work of Papanek1 (2003), Hawken2 (1999) and Abouleish3 (2008) and in particular the ethical business model initiated by McDonough and Braungart in Cradle to Cradle®4 (2002). My own research project is inspired by the Cradle to Cradle® model. It proposes the development of a new material, PiñatexTM which is derived from natural fibres extracted from waste pineapple leaves and could be used in a wide variety of products that are currently fabricated in leather or petroleum-based materials. The methods have comprised: Contextual reviews; case studies (SEKEM, Cradle to Cradle® and Gawad Kalinga); practical experiments in the field of natural fibres, chemistry, product development, manufacturing and prototyping, leading to an invention and a theoretical model of mapping. In addition, collaboration has taken place across scientific, technological, social, ecological, academic and business fields. The outcome is a new material based on the synchronicity between the pineapple fibres, polymers, resins and coatings specially formulated. The invention of the new material that I developed as a central part of this research by practice has a patent in the national phase (PCT/GB 2011/000802) and is in the first stages of manufacturing, commercial testing and further design input (Summer 2014). The contribution to knowledge is firstly the material, PiñatexTM, which exhibits certain key qualities, namely environmentally non-toxic, biodegradable, income-generating potential and marketability. This is alongside its intrinsic qualities as a textile product: aesthetic potential, durability and stability, which will make it suitable for the accessories, interiors and furnishing markets. The theoretical mapping system Upstream and Downstream forms a secondary contribution.

The role of telecommunications infrastructure in the regional economic growth of Africa

This paper presents empirical evidence on how telecommunications infrastructure is related to economic growth in a panel dataset covering 44 African countries for the period from 1990 to 2010. A dynamic panel data approach model is employed, which suggests that telecommunications contribute in a major way to the economic development of the continent, after controlling for a number of other factors. Furthermore, the findings also show that investment in telecommunications is subject to increasing returns, demonstrating that an increase in telecommunications investment produces further growth. Therefore, telecommunications investment and services should be encouraged in the region.

Interaction of malaria parasites with host late endocytic and autophagic pathways is essential for Plasmodium liver stage development

RESUMO: A Malária é causada por parasitas do género Plasmodium, sendo a doença parasitária mais fatal para o ser humano. Apesar de, durante o século passado, o desenvolvimento económico e a implementação de diversas medidas de controlo, tenham permitido erradicar a doença em muitos países, a Malária continua a ser um problema de saúde grave, em particular nos países em desenvolvimento. A Malária é transmitida através da picada de uma fêmea de mosquito do género Anopheles. Durante a picada, os esporozoítos são injetados na pele do hospedeiro, seguindo-se a fase hepática e obrigatória do ciclo de vida. No fígado, os esporozoítos infetam os hepatócitos onde se replicam, dentro de um vacúolo parasitário (VP) e de uma forma imunitária silenciosa, em centenas de merozoitos. Estas novas formas do parasita são as responsáveis por infetar os eritrócitos, iniciando a fase sanguínea da doença, onde se os primeiros sintomas se manifestam, tais como a característica febre cíclica. A fase hepática da doença é a menos estudada e compreendida. Mais ainda, as interações entre o VP e os organelos da células hospedeira estão ainda pouco caracterizados. Assim, neste estudo, as interações entre os organelos endocíticos e autofágicos da célula hospedeira e o VP foram dissecados, observando-se que os anfisomas, que são organelos resultantes da intersecção do dois processos de tráfego intracelular, interagem com o parasita. Descobrimos que a autofagia tem também uma importante função imunitária durante a fase hepática inicial, ao passo, que durante o desenvolvimento do parasita, já numa fase mais tardia, o parasita depende da interação com os endossomas tardios e anfisomas para crescer. Vesiculas de BSA, EGF e LC3, foram, também, observadas dentro do VP, sugerindo que os parasitas são capazes de internalizar material endocítico e autofágico do hospedeiro. Mais ainda, mostramos que esta interação depende da cinase PIKfyve, responsável pela conversão do fosfoinositidio-3-fosfato no fosfoinositidio-3,5-bifosfato, uma vez que inibindo esta cinase o parasita não é capaz de crescer normalmente. Finalmente, mostramos que a proteína TRPML1, uma proteína efetora do fosfoinositidio-3,5-bifosfato, e envolvida no processo de fusão das membranas dos organelos endocíticos e autofágicos, também é necessária para o crescimento do parasita. Desta forma, o nosso estudo sugere que a membrana do VP funde com vesiculas endocíticas e autofágicas tardias, de uma forma dependente do fositidio-3,5-bifosfato e do seu effetor TRPML1, permitindo a troca de material com a célula hospedeira. Concluindo, os nossos resultados evidenciam que o processo autofágico que ocorre na célula hospedeira tem um papel duplo durante a fase hepática da malaria. Enquanto numa fase inicial os hepatócitos usam o processo autofágico como forma de defesa contra o parasita, já durante a fase de replicação o VP funde com vesiculas autofágicas e endocíticas de forma a obter os nutrientes necessários ao seu desenvolvimento.--------- ABSTRACT: Malaria, which is caused by parasites of the genus Plasmodium, is the most deadly parasitic infection in humans. Although economic development and the implementation of control measures during the last century have erradicated the disease from many areas of the world, it remains a serious human health issue, particularly in developing countries. Malaria is transmitted by female mosquitoes of the genus Anopheles. During the mosquito blood meal, Plasmodium spp. sporozoites are injected into the skin dermis of the vertebrate host, followed by an obligatory liver stage. Upon entering the liver, Plasmodium parasites infect hepatocytes and silently replicate inside a host cell-derived parasitophorous vacuole (PV) into thousands of merozoites. These new parasite forms can infect red blood cells initiating the the blood stage of the disease which shows the characteristic febrile malaria episodes. The liver stage is the least characterized step of the malaria infection. Moreover, the interactions between the Plasmodium spp. PV and the host cell trafficking pathways are poorly understood. We dissected the interaction between Plasmodium parasites and the host cell endocytic and autophagic pathways and we found that both pathways intersect and interconnect in the close vicinity of the parasite PV, where amphisomes are formed and accumulate. Interestingly, we observed a clearance function for autophagy in hepatocytes infected with Plasmodium berghei parasites at early infection times, whereas during late liver stage development late endosomes and amphisomes are required for parasite growth. Moreover, we found the presence of internalized BSA, EGF and LC3 inside parasite vacuoles, suggesting that the parasites uptake endocytic and autophagic cargo. Furthermore, we showed that the interaction between the PV and host traffic pathways is dependent on the kinase PIKfyve, which converts the phosphoinositide PI(3)P into PI(3,5)P2, since PIKfyve inhibition caused a reduction in parasite growth. Finally, we showed that the PI(3,5)P2 effector protein TRPML1, which is involved in late endocytic and autophagic membrane fusion, is also required for parasite development. Thus, our studies suggest that the parasite parasitophorous vacuole membrane (PVM) is able to fuse with late endocytic and autophagic vesicles in a PI(3,5)P2- and TRPML1-dependent manner, allowing the exchange of material between the host cell and the parasites, necessary for the rapid development of the latter that is seen during the liver stage of infection. In conclusion, we present evidence supporting a specific and essential dual role of host autophagy during the course of Plasmodium liver infection. Whereas in the initial hours of infection the host cell uses autophagy as a cell survival mechanism to fight the infection, during the replicative phase the PV fuses with host autophagic and endocytic vesicles to obtain nutrients required for parasite growth.