Associate Professor Peter Howley

© 2016, Economic and Social Studies. All rights reserved. The Water Framework Directive mandates EU Member States to achieve good status across all surface waters. Derogations from this have to be proven based on infeasibility or disproportionate cost. This study explores public preference for water quality objectives and assesses willingness to pay (WTP) for achieving good status across all rivers in the Republic of Ireland using contingent valuation. Mean WTP for achieving full good status across rivers was estimated at ¿19 per respondent per annum. WTP was influenced by social class, subjective perceptions relating to household financial status, education, recreational use, environmental values and river basin district.

© 2015 Elsevier Ltd. Some commentators have put forward the idea of paying farmers a one-off lump sum (commonly referred to as a CAP bond), in lieu of annual single farm payments. This would bring about real reform of the CAP, but at the same time compensate farmers for the elimination of support and give them the capacity to adjust to an unsupported world. Through the development of a contingent valuation scenario, we ascertained the types of farmers who would be most likely to voluntarily switch to this reform measure at specified payment levels. We found that older farmers and those more motivated by business related objectives are relatively more attracted to a CAP bond. Those with greater household financial security and those characterised as being more risk-averse were less likely to prefer a one-off lump sum. Overall our analysis suggests there would be a general reluctance among farm operators to take up a CAP bond even at very high payment levels.

© 2015 SETAC. The release of pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) into the environment has been held up as a potential threat to ecosystem and human health. Using a custom-designed survey of residents living in Xiamen, China, this paper examines individuals' disposal practices, awareness of the environmental impact of PPCPs, and willingness to pay for measures aimed at reducing the likelihood of PPCPs being released into the environment. The vast majority of respondents report that they dispose of PPCPs through the thrash. The results of a contingent valuation experiment suggest a substantial willingness to pay (WTP) for policy measures aimed at reducing PPCP pollution. Income as well as subjective perceptions relating to overall financial health, expenditure on PPCPs, and overall concern with environmental issues emerged as significant predictors of respondents' WTP. Our results should be of interest to policymakers looking for ways to mitigate the introduction of PPCPs in the environment. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;9999:XX-XX.

Background: Root cause analysis (RCA) is often adopted to complement epidemiologic investigation for outbreaks and infection-related adverse events in hospitals; however, RCA has been argued to have limited effectiveness in preventing such events. We describe how an innovative systems analysis approach halted repeated scabies outbreaks, and highlight the importance of systems thinking for outbreaks analysis and sustaining effective infection prevention and control. Methods: Following RCA for a third successive outbreak of scabies over a 17-month period in a 60-bed respiratory care ward of a Taiwan hospital, a systems-oriented event analysis (SOEA) model was used to reanalyze the outbreak. Both approaches and the recommendations were compared. Results: No nosocomial scabies have been reported for more than 1975days since implementation of the SOEA. Previous intervals between seeming eradication and repeat outbreaks following RCA were 270days and 180days. Achieving a sustainable positive resolution relied on applying systems thinking and the holistic analysis of the system, not merely looking for root causes of events. Conclusion: To improve the effectiveness of outbreaks analysis and infection control, an emphasis on systems thinking is critical, along with a practical approach to ensure its effective implementation. The SOEA model provides the necessary framework and is a viable complementary approach, or alternative, to RCA.

© The Author 2015. I test empirically the relationship between farmers' perceptions of the nonpecuniary benefits from farming with a variety of field behaviors such as disinvestment, production, diversification, and off-farm labor market participation. Results suggest that nonpecuniary benefits have an important influence on a wide range of farmer activities. While costs and returns are clearly important, I suggest that nonpecuniary benefits may make some choices more attractive than others which may be more rewarding financially.

© 2015, Pion Limited. All rights reserved. Due to the increasing spatial dispersion of social networks, the association between neighbor relationships and quality of life has become more uncertain. Our analysis used instrumental variable modelling to reduce bias associated with residual confounding and reverse causation, in order to provide a more reliable examination of the effect of interaction with neighbors on subjective well-being than previous work. While the frames of reference for individuals¿ socialising may have shifted outside the neighborhood, our analysis provides robust evidence that interaction with neighbors still matters a great deal for subjective well-being. A further important question to ask is if neighboring does affect well-being, then are there certain groups in society for whom contact with neighbors matters more? Our analysis suggests that there are, namely for those in a relationship, unemployed or retired. This means that while fostering contact with neighbors has the potential to significantly improve individual well-being, such policy efforts are likely to matter a good deal more in neighborhoods with relatively large numbers of geographically constrained social groups, such as the elderly and the unemployed.

© 2014 Elsevier B.V. Although the physical conditions of a farm and farming system will to some extent predispose a farmer towards converting land to alternative agricultural uses such as forestry, results presented in this paper suggest that differences in underlying farming motivations can also play an important role in explaining farmers' decision-making. Our findings suggest that even in the face of higher economic returns, some farmers may be reluctant to convert land to forestry as to do so would not be in keeping with their productivist attitudes. Other farmers may fear losing the non-pecuniary benefits derived from 'working the land'. We conclude that economic incentives alone are unlikely to encourage certain cohorts of farmers to consider alternative land uses such as farm forestry and that policy ought to be guided by a better understanding of the differing farming motivations of farm operators.

© 2014, © 2014 Taylor & Francis. This study examines the relationship between social capital and psychological health. Endogeneity concerns are addressed through the development of a two-stage residual inclusion (2SRI) model. I provide robust evidence that levels of social trust and support from friends significantly affect self-reported psychological health. Estimates obtained relating to the effect of these variables using the 2SRI method as well as two-stage least squares greatly exceed those obtained through standard ordered logit and OLS models. This illustrates the importance of controlling for endogeneity bias in any future studies of the relationship between social capital and psychological health.

Using separate nationally representative surveys, this study compared the views and perspectives of farmers towards agricultural related conservation issues with that of the general public. Results suggest that both the general public and farmers expressed similar levels of concern regarding the environment as a whole. This is an encouraging sign when it comes to environmental protection, as it indicates a certain level of agreement between farmers as the group whose activities largely shape the quality of the rural environment, with the views of the general public who are the major consumers of landscape related environmental public goods. The analysis did, however, reveal important differences in attitudes in relation to certain environmental issues such as the relative importance of maintaining wildlife and habitats and having wild flora and fauna in the countryside. These activities could be seen as in conflict with farmers' productivist attitudes. We found no significant difference in environmental attitudes between farmers who have participated in voluntary agri-environmental schemes and those who did not. Results also suggest that there is significant heterogeneity in public attitudes towards environmental issues. Specifically, age, income, place of residence and presence of children were all significantly associated with environmental preferences. The study concludes that consideration needs to be given to the different views and perspectives of farmers and the general public in formulating policy aimed at providing an optimal mix of agricultural related environmental public goods and services. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

Using a nationally representative survey of farm operators in Ireland, this study examines the effect of non-pecuniary benefits from farm work on labor allocation choices. Results suggest that non-pecuniary benefits affect both the decision to enter the off-farm labor market and also once that decision is made, the amount of time spent working off-farm. We find our derived variable representing non-monetary benefits associated with farm work to have a substantial impact similar to the effect of other more widely reported personal and farm structural variables such as the age of the farm operator, farm size, and farming system. The existence of these non-pecuniary benefits serves to increase the implied wage to farmers for their farm work. This in turn can lead to allocations of labor that would seem suboptimal from a purely financial point of view. Rural development policies aimed at creating off-farm opportunities could fail unless returns to off-farm work are high enough to compensate the farmer for losing the benefits associated with the farming lifestyle. From a methodological perspective, our analysis indicates that failure to model off-farm labor allocation choices as a two-part process may lead to some incorrect conclusions regarding the effect of certain explanatory variables. Outside of explaining farmers' off-farm labor supply it would be useful to incorporate farmer perceptions regarding the non-pecuniary benefits from farming in economic models of farm behavior across a range of activities as this could lead to much more accurate predictions of farmers' responses to policy changes. © 2013 Springer Science+Business Media Dordrecht.

Using a nationally representative survey of 263 farm operators in Ireland, this study develops a typology of private forest landowners' objectives for forest ownership. It is important to understand farmers' forest ownership objectives as this will enhance economic analysis in general, but also to formulate more effective policies that take into account the range of motivational profiles of landowners. Using principal component analysis, three core motivations for forest ownership are identified representing economic, lifestyle and multifunctional benefits. Using a binary logistic regression model these ownership objectives were found to have a significant impact on farmers' forest management. For instance, farmers with relatively stronger economic motivations for forest ownership were found to be much more likely to harvest thinnings whereas the opposite was true of those with more lifestyle orientated objectives. In order to tailor policy at groups with different forest ownership objectives it will be important to be able to identify them through more easily observable owner and property characteristics. This study through multivariate regression analysis found factors such as age of the farm operator, land quality, system of farming, off farm employment and environmental attitudes were related to farm forest owners' ownership objectives. The study concludes that a better understanding of the heterogeneity in farmers' forest ownership objectives will enable policymakers to tailor incentives that more closely align with the diverse motivational profiles of different groups of landholders. © 2013 Elsevier Ltd.

© Emerald Group Publishing Limited Purpose ¿ By examining the role of farming attitudes and motivations, the aim of this paper is to provide a framework for better understanding farmers¿ behaviour in relation to the decision to obtain credit. Design/methodology/approach ¿ Using a nationally representative survey of farm operators in Ireland, this paper derives explanatory variables (based on a factor analysis of respondents mean ratings of 13 attitudinal statements) representing three different farming motivations. An ordered logit model is then formulated to examine the effect of farming attitudes as well as personal characteristics and farm structural variables on the degree of indebtedness. Findings ¿ Personal characteristics of the farmer such as age and education as well as farm structural variables such as farm size and farm system were all found to strongly affect decisions in relation to credit use. The study identified how farmers are not just driven by business related goals such as maximising profits but are also strongly motivated by productivist tendencies and perceived lifestyle benefits associated with farm work. These underlying farming motivations were, in turn, found to have a differential impact on credit use. Specifically, business orientated attitudes were found to provide a prime incentive for farmers to borrow funds. On the other hand, farmers who strongly value the benefits associated with the farming lifestyle were less likely to look for credit. Originality/value ¿ Past research has focused on the effect of socio-demographic characteristics and farm structural variables in examining differences in farm indebtedness. This study extends this literature by specifically examining the role of farming attitudes. Obtaining a deeper understanding of the factors that affect the level of farming debt will be important as the degree of indebtedness has been found to affect farmers¿ management decisions. Outside of explaining farm credit use, farming attitudes and motivations may have an important impact on farmers¿ behaviour in relation to a variety of farm activities.

This paper explored individuals' attitudes towards the traditional farm landscape and using the contingent valuation method (CVM) their willingness to pay (WTP) for agricultural activities aimed at its protection. Analysis of consumer attitudes towards the countryside can provide information from which policy-makers can ascertain if policy measures aimed at enhancing and protecting the rural landscape are in line with citizens' views and expectations. Results from a Generalized Tobit Interval model suggest that attitudes regarding the importance of particular landscape attributes have a differential impact on WTP. A variety of background variables and whether individuals live in the countryside were also found to strongly influence WTP. More generally, the results would indicate broad public support for second pillar objectives under the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) such as the protection of the traditional farm landscape. © 2012 Copyright Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.

Given that an increasing share of budgetary resources are now being spent on measures aimed at protecting the visual quality of agricultural landscapes it will be important to better understand individuals' landscape preferences and the factors that influence those preferences. Within this context, using a nationally representive survey of Irish residents, the central aim of this study was to gain more insight into people's preferences regarding traditional farming landscapes. Individuals rated agricultural landscapes in terms of beauty quite highly but given a choice prefer traditional more extensive farming landscapes over more modern intensive farming landscapes. Moreover, the results suggest that there are systematic differences in preferences for traditional farm landscapes between different demographic groupings and also depending on individuals' environmental value orientations. Accordingly, in studying preferences for agricultural landscapes in particular areas it will be necessary to consider the social and demographic characteristics of the population as well as the physical aspects of the landscape. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Despite the potential benefits accruing from use of the rural landscape, access to farmland is a contentious issue with many landowners restricting public access. Within this context, this paper first explores general public preferences and willingness to pay for farmland walking trails in the Irish countryside. Second this paper examines farmers' willingness to participate in a hypothetical walking scheme whereby the general public will be allowed access to specific trails. Results suggest that individuals are not a homogeneous group with regard to their preferences for farmland walking trails. From a supply perspective, this paper identified significant regional variations in farmers' attitudes relating to public access. More generally, the analysis presented here would suggest that there is significant scope for policy intervention to improve public access to the countryside. © 2011 Elsevier Ltd.

Different economic valuation methodologies can be used to value the non-market benefits of an agri-environmental scheme. In particular, the non-market value can be examined by assessing the public's willingness to pay for the policy outputs as a whole or by modelling the preferences of society for the component attributes of the rural landscape that result from the implementation of the policy. In this article we examine whether the welfare values estimated for an agri-environmental policy are significantly different between an holistic valuation methodology (using contingent valuation) and an attribute-based valuation methodology (choice experiment). It is argued that the valuation methodology chosen should be based on whether or not the overall objective is the valuation of the agri-environment policy package in its entirety or the valuation of each of the policy's distinct environmental outputs. © 2011 The Agricultural Economics Society.

In addition to their importance for timber production, Ireland's forests represent a multi-faceted resource that enhances the environment, promotes biodiversity, sequesters atmospheric carbon and facilitates recreational activity. Within this context, the overall aim of this paper is to examine some of the non-market - or rather non-timber production related - benefits of forests. Forestry investment has been identified as a means of promoting economic development in rural areas. The survey results presented here suggest that there are likely to be substantial public good benefits to the promotion of the forestry sector. More specifically, given the frequency of visits nationally, forest parks are shown to be a recreational resource which is highly valued by the general public. Results suggest, however, that individuals are not a homogeneous group with regard to their use of forest parks as there are significant differences between likely users and non-users. In terms of visual amenity, the general public rated forest landscape elements quite highly relative to a variety of other landscape elements. For the most part, those surveyed did not feel that too much of the country's land area was currently in forestry use. Finally, respondents held the biodiversity and carbon sequestration benefits of forestry to be more important than benefits in terms of timber production. © 2011 Copyright Geographical Society of Ireland.

The central aim of this study was to gain greater insights into the factors that affect individuals' preferences for a variety of landscape settings. Using a nationally representative survey conducted in the summer of 2010 of 430 individuals living in Ireland, this paper derived dependent variables (based on a factor analysis of respondents mean ratings of 47 landscape images) representing 5 different landscape categories. These variables were then utilised in separate OLS regression models to examine the effect of personal characteristics, residential location and environmental value orientations on landscape preferences. First in terms of visual amenity the results suggest that the general public have the strongest preference for landscapes with water related features as its dominant attribute which was followed by cultural landscapes. Second the results also demonstrate how there is significant heterogeneity in landscape preferences as both personal characteristics and environmental value orientations were found to strongly influence preferences for all the landscape types examined. Moreover the effect of these variables often differed significantly across the various landscape groupings. In terms of land use policy, given the diversity of preferences a one size fits all approach will not meet the general publics' needs and desires. © 2011 Elsevier B.V.

Decoupled payments are in the World Trade Organisation's (WTO) 'green box' of agriculture-related subsidies and thus must adhere to the fundamental requirement that the policy has no, or at most minimal, trade-distorting effects. The question as to whether decoupled payments affect production is an important issue in the context of international trade, as these payments can be exempt from WTO limits if they have none or at most, minimal, trade distorting effects. Using a dynamic multi-product partial equilibrium model, this article provides projections for cereal and beef production in Ireland between 2005 and 2020 under the alternate assumptions of full (decoupled payments have the same impact as output prices) and zero (decoupled payments have no impact on production) coupling. The projections from the model were then compared with actual real market data in Ireland. The results suggest that if decoupled payments are treated by farmers as being 'truly' decoupled then there is likely to be a substantial decline in agricultural production in Ireland. Our model results suggest, however, that grain and cattle farmers in Ireland do not consider these payments as fully decoupled which calls into question the appropriateness of decoupled payments being included as a 'green box' policy. © 2011 The Authors. EuroChoices © 2011 The Agricultural Economics Society and the European Association of Agricultural Economists.

Contingent valuation has been used extensively in estimating the value of environmental goods. One criticism of this approach, however, is that respondents in referendum-style contingent valuation surveys may express citizen assessments that take into account benefits to others rather than benefits that accrue purely to the respondent themselves. Within this context, the aim of this paper is to examine to what extent individuals express different preferences when adopting a personal or a social/citizen perspective. While this paper provides some support for the hypothesis that individuals express different preferences when adopting collective as opposed to personal choices, reported willingness to pay (WTP) was found to be insensitive to whether or not the respondents were asked the WTP question from a personal or social perspective. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Issues surrounding central city residential housing have increased in prominence in recent times as a result of the onus on the planning systems of most Western countries to develop a more sustainable development pattern. Similarly to many British and US cities, Dublin in recent times has been successful in attracting large numbers of residents back into new residential developments within the central city. This paper raises questions relating to the long-term sustainability of these areas as residents ultimately express a preference to reside in lower-density locations. In examining what lies behind these residential preferences, this paper focuses on one aspect of individuals' mobility behaviour: namely housing satisfaction. Results from a logistic model of housing satisfaction indicate that both background variables such as age and ethnicity as well as various design elements of the dwelling unit emerge as significant predictors of overall housing satisfaction within these newly regenerated residential areas. © 2010 Taylor & Francis.

In recent times, similar to many other cities such as London, Manchester and New York, there has been a considerable population influx into Dublin's inner city. The attraction of new residents back into the central area has resulted in economic and social restructuring and the creation of new 'social spaces', as new urban residents are often very different in demographic and socioeconomic terms than members of established communities (i.e. younger, more affluent and ethnically diverse). The overall aim of this paper is to examine the extent and significance of neighbourly ties in these new relatively high density residential environments in the central area of Dublin city. Findings in this paper demonstrate that these new residential neighbourhoods are characterised by a lack of 'neighbourliness' which call into question the long-term stability and cohesion of these new residential environments. Results from a binary logistic model indicate that background variables such as age, gender and ethnicity emerge as significant predictors of neighbourly interaction. The presence of friends and or relatives in the neighbourhood, the level of trust in neighbours and finally respondents' intended future mobility behaviour were further factors found to have a significant influence on the level of interaction with neighbours. © 2009 Geographical Society of Ireland.

The recent policy emphasis towards promoting inner urban living has been successful in attracting large numbers of new residents back into Dublin's inner city. Utilising data from a household survey, focus groups and census data, this paper provides key insights into the changes that are occurring in the central area of Dublin city. In particular, this paper highlights how the recent population influx has not only led to a rapid physical redevelopment of the inner city but also helped to create a new social population, one that is much younger, affluent and ethnically diverse than members of older more established communities. In addition, this paper identifies possible problems relating to the long-term sustainability of these newly regenerated residential environments within the inner city. © 2009 Geographical Society of Ireland.

The onus on the planning systems of most advanced capitalist societies to develop a more sustainable urban development pattern has resulted in an ever-increasing emphasis on policies to increase residential densities. As evident by rapidly sprawling development patterns which are now characteristic of most Western societies, individual residential preferences appear to be at variance with this policy agenda. Using quantitative and qualitative research data this paper examines the motives, behaviour and preferences of residents living in new relatively compact residential environments in the central area of Dublin city. This is a group who have made the choice to move into a relatively compact urban area and hence it will be revealing to assess the motives, preferences and future intentions of this residential population. Evidence presented in this paper would suggest that residential preferences are at variance with policy prescription emphasising the need for higher residential densities as, for example, even among those living in new compact urban environments in the central city, there is a clear aspiration for lower-density living. The preference of the majority of these residents to ultimately relocate to lower-density locations would suggest that urban planners and designers still have some way to go before they can claim to have created residential environments that meet liveability as well as sustainability criteria. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Policy prescription in most Western societies has increasingly favoured urban intensification policies in order to ensure a more sustainable development pattern. In particular, it is now widely felt that residential decisions concerning where to live profoundly affect, among other things, environmental pollution, resource use and land and habitat loss. Using the central area of Dublin city as a case study, this paper focuses specifically on garnering a better understanding of the residential behaviour of residents who have moved into new relatively high-density residential environments. This is a group who have made the choice to move into a relatively high-density urban area and hence it will be revealing to assess the motives, preferences and future intentions of this residential population. Findings suggest that the ultimate residential preference of the majority of residents in these areas is for lower density locations which call into question the long term success of urban intensification efforts. Results from a logit model of residential mobility indicate that stage in their life cycle, satisfaction with both the dwelling and the neighbourhood emerge as significant predictors of respondents intended future mobility patterns. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Recent years have witnessed an increasing emphasis placed on planning systems in most advanced capitalist societies to develop a more sustainable urban development pattern, resulting in policies to increase residential densities. Although belief in the virtues of the compact city approach is now widespread among the policy community, questions remain relating to the 'sustainability versus liveability' implications of compact city environments. In this regard, while the public may support sustainability principles, there is a perception that high-density development poses too great a cost on individuals' quality of life. Combining both quantitative and qualitative research data, this paper evaluates the relationship between high-density living and neighbourhood satisfaction within the central city. Findings suggest that, in many instances, it is not high density per se that is the source of dissatisfaction for respondents, but rather other related factors such as environmental quality, noise, lack of community involvement, traffic and lack of services and facilities. © 2009 University of Newcastle upon Tyne.