Galway Bay fm newsroom - An NUIG study has found public trust in the Government soared in 2020 as a result of policies to improve income protection during the Covid-19 crisis.
The research examined how social protection was funded during the pandemic and how the protection of people’s purchasing power led to increased support for Government and public health measures.
Data showed public trust in the Government reached a low of 18% in 2009, whereas the efforts taken in 2020 to protect people’s purchasing power saw the same measure reach a peak of 66%.
The research, which has been presented at both the United Nations and the World Health Organisation, looked at social policy responses to the Great Recession of 2008-2012 and the Covid-19 crisis and assessed their impact on preserving living standards in Ireland.
The analysis was led by Professor Cathal O’Donoghue, Established Chair in Social and Public Policy at NUI Galway.
He says the impact of the pandemic on Ireland’s economy and public finances has been deeper, faster and more broadly felt than the devastation caused by the financial crises that swept Europe from 2008 to 2012.
