Saving the Future: How Social Partnership Shaped Ireland's Economic Success

Saving the Future tells the inside story of how social partnership helped to turn Ireland from an economic basket case into one of Europe's most successful economic. Drawing on new insights from the men and women who made it happen-including top politicians, business leaders, civil servants and trade unionists-it describes the most striking years of Ireland's economic development.

Written by leading journalists who tracked the ups and downs of the period, Saving the Future analyses the hidden dynamics that allowed a highly disparate collection of individuals and organisations to successfully work together in a way that, after 21 years, remains unique. While not solely responsible for the Irish economic miracle, social partnership has made a significant contribution to the creation of the political, economic and social life of modern Ireland.

Is social partnership capable of dealing successfully with the new question of sustaining competitiveness and social justice in a globalised economy and labour market? By highlighting the tough issues where new consensus is necessary to sustain the successful partnership model, Saving the Future identifies the challenge for the emerging generation of Irish political, business and labour leaders, and for society itself.