Rethinking social enterprise policy making in Ireland – untangling proportionate, disproportionate and unengaged sectoral policy contributions

Abstract

The National Social Enterprise Policy of Ireland was launched in 2019 following a slow and episodic process. The aim of the paper is to examine the development and implementation of the National Social Enterprise Policy. In particular the interaction between key sectoral stakeholders in the development of the policy and the primary influences on the process. The results of a substantial qualitative enquiry details the complex set of relationships underpinning the development of social enterprise policy in a multi-level governance framework. It situates the National Social Enterprise Policy in an environment unusually susceptible to sub-sectoral advocacy and highlights the particular characteristics of the Irish case where social enterprise policy is largely removed from broader social economy policy interventions in Ireland and the European Union. The paper highlights the complex and fluid environment in which various stakeholders articulated and advocated for their policy positions. It also details how the relevant policy institutions engaged with and were influenced by stakeholders. It contributes to the understanding of social enterprise policy formulation and how this process can become more inclusive.

The theory of the investment development path and agriculture in Eastern Europe

“…A United Nations agency, the Food and Agricultural Organisation is dedicated to disseminating data on the sector, including data on inward and outward foreign direct investment, agricultural gross domestic product, and population. In public sector management, policies at lower levels of aggregation tend to be better managed than those at higher levels of aggregation [ [34] , [35] , [36] , [37] ].…”

The Neoliberalisation of the Third Sector Is Almost Complete

“…In the U.K., especially in Scotland through the Scottish government's abandonment of funding support for social enterprise networks, many third sector organizations have moved from local accountability to increased dependency on external funding (Pia, 2022). In Ireland, strong policy advocacy by social finance organizations amidst contested departmental oversight in government has also meant stronger emphasis on external investment and diminished local accountability (O'Broin & Doyle, 2023).…”