Author: Richard Tol

Ireland not so “networked ready”

The World Economic Forum has released its latest Global Information Technology Report, highlighting the “Networked Readiness Index”. I do not know what that means, but it probably has something to do with the Smart Economy, the government plan that is mentioned in the introductory chapter of the report. Ireland ranks 24th, towards the bottom of the rich countries and at par with the best of the middle-income countries.

The index consists of 3 subindices, each consisting of three subsubindices, derived from a total of 68 indicators.

As everything depends on the arbitrary weighting of the indicators, it is more instructive to look at the bottom level indicators.

Ireland is 24th out of 133 assessed countries. What is dragging us down? I’ll list the indicators on which Ireland is 48th or lower:

  • Burden of government regulation: 74th
  • Intensity of local competition: 49th
  • Time to enforce a contract: 60th
  • Residential telephone connection charge: 92nd
  • Residential telephone subscription: 118th
  • Fixed telephone line tariffs: 52nd
  • Business telephone connection charge: 76th
  • Business telephone subscription: 92nd
  • Availability of new telephone lines: 53rd
  • Government prioritization of ICT: 63rd
  • Government procurement of ICT: 59th
  • Importance of ICT to government vision: 56th
  • Government success in ICT promotion: 64th

There is no need to comment on the above.

Ireland scores well on a number of things (12th or higher):

  • Judicial independence: 9th
  • Number of procedures to enforce a contract: 1st
  • Level of competition: 1st
  • Quality of education: 8th
  • ICT imports: 1st
  • ICT exports: 10th

Municipal Waste Management Policy (ctd)

Olivia Kelly had a remarkable sense of precognition in yesterday’s Irish Times. The Independent, the Examiner and Irish Times report again today. See also FinFacts.

Paul Gorecki sums it up nicely: There was only one valid criticism of the report and it did not change the substance of the report or its conclusions.

Here’s the abstract:

The report sets out an economic approach to municipal waste management policy in Ireland and then applies that framework to two recent policy developments. First, the proposed Section 60 policy direction to cap incineration and other matters, and second, the international review of waste management policy. These complementary policy developments sponsored by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government are designed to provide a roadmap for a new municipal waste management policy. The report questions whether these developments provide a coherent and feasible basis on which to develop waste policy. Indeed, apart from some unexceptional lessons which are consistent with current waste management policy, implementation of these proposals and recommendations is likely to lower societal welfare and increase the chances that Ireland will miss important Landfill Directive targets with consequent EU fines. The report puts forward a number of suggestions consistent with raising societal welfare while at the same time meeting the Landfill Directive targets.

The report was previously discussed here.

Update: The IWMA still does not accept the ESRI waste projections (even though EPA and DEHLG do).

Update2: Dr Dominic Hogg of Eunomia continues to think that the ESRI is wrong.

Update3: Minister Gormley argues that the international review is flawless.

Wanna sponsor my pothole?

The German municipality of Niederzimmern does not have the money to fix potholes. They are now selling the right to fix the road to anyone. In return, the owner of the fixed pothole can put on the road a text of her choice.

(from today’s Volkskrant)

Pumped hydro is the flavour of the week

Following an apparent revival of the Spirit of Ireland on Monday, it’s now Organic Power‘s turn to look into pumped hydro to store electricity, using salt water and the Atlantic Ocean as the lower reservoir.  I have not changed my mind during the week or indeed the year, but Organic Power works at a more realistic scale than Spirit of Ireland; Organic Power works with experienced people; and it is does not seem to be looking for public subsidies.

Best of luck to them. Let’s hope their current investigations spring a surprise.

Dreaming of pumped hydro

Frank McDonald keeps the dream alive in today’s Irish Times.

I have had no new insights since May 2009, but SEI & UCD organized an event where most speakers agreed with my assessment: Pumped hydro is just too expensive.