Deprivation and its Spatial Articulation in the Republic of Ireland: New Measures of Deprivation Based on the Census of Population, 1991, 1996 and 2002

This study is based on a powerful and innovative approach to the construction of deprivation indices. The approach builds on the best elements of existing approaches, whilst simultaneously pushing out the boundaries in favour of greater conceptual clarity and precision. In response to the persistent failure of certain urban and rural areas to benefit from economic growth at national level, successive Irish Governments have developed a plethora of area-based initiatives with a wide and complex agenda, addressing the needs of individuals and communities. The primary aim of these initiatives is to complement existing statutory interventions by addressing the underlying structural weaknesses which contribute to the disadvantaged status of the areas in question. The indices presented in this report pay greater attention to the actual level of disadvantage experienced, using finely-differentiated deprivation scores to track changes over time.