Abstract This paper sets out to establish the extent of austerity in the Irish local government system during and after the Great Recession. Austerity is measured by the adjusted change in local government expenditure from peak to trough years, and is analysed by type of expenditure, service division and local authority. Stripping out the change in local government current spending that is due to expenditure reassignments reveals that the austerity-related reduction in local government operating expenditure is not as large as often portrayed. As for other findings, there are sizeable differences across the aforementioned classifications, with, most notably, capital expenditure cuts far exceeding cuts in current expenditure. The largest decreases in total spending were on roads and housing services, and small rural county councils endured the most austerity, as measured by the initial reductions in current expenditure. In terms of policy implications, the biggest concern is the large infrastructural deficit that needs to be tackled, arising from austerity cuts in capital expenditure imposed at both central and local government level. As the economy recovers from the Great Recession and the subsequent era of austerity, failure to address this problem will hinder Ireland’s international competitiveness, constrain the economy’s future growth rate and result in impoverishment of public services at local level.

中文翻译：

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大衰退以来的紧缩政策和爱尔兰地方政府支出

摘要 本文旨在确定大衰退期间和之后爱尔兰地方政府系统的紧缩程度。财政紧缩以地方政府支出从高峰到低谷的调整变化来衡量，并按支出类型、服务部门和地方当局进行分析。剔除由于支出重新分配导致的地方政府经常支出变化，可以发现与紧缩相关的地方政府运营支出减少并不像通常描述的那么大。至于其他调查结果，上述分类之间存在相当大的差异，最值得注意的是，资本支出的削减远远超过了经常支出的削减。总支出降幅最大的是道路和住房服务，和小型农村县议会忍受了最紧缩，从经常支出的最初减少来衡量。在政策影响方面，最大的担忧是需要解决的巨大基础设施赤字，这是由中央和地方政府两级实施的资本支出紧缩措施引起的。随着经济从大衰退和随后的紧缩时代中复苏，如果不解决这个问题，将阻碍爱尔兰的国际竞争力，制约经济未来的增长速度，并导致地方公共服务的贫困。由中央和地方政府两级实施的资本支出紧缩削减所致。随着经济从大衰退和随后的紧缩时代中复苏，如果不解决这个问题，将阻碍爱尔兰的国际竞争力，制约经济未来的增长速度，并导致地方公共服务的贫困。由中央和地方政府两级实施的资本支出紧缩削减所致。随着经济从大衰退和随后的紧缩时代中复苏，如果不解决这个问题，将阻碍爱尔兰的国际竞争力，制约经济未来的增长速度，并导致地方公共服务的贫困。