Frances Ruane
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Frances P. Ruane, , is an Irish academic economist and former director of the
Economic and Social Research Institute The Economic and Social Research Institute is an Irish research institute founded in 1960 to provide evidence-based research used to inform public policy debate and decision-making. The research of the institute focuses on the areas of sustaina ...
(ESRI) in
Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...
,
Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
2006−2015. She is recognised for her research on FDI and its effect on host economies. She has also been a regular appointee to State and public policy boards and committees, including most recently acting as Chair of the
Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland The Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland (SSISI) is a learned society which analyses the major changes that have taken place in population, employment, legal and administrative systems and social services in Ireland. It operates as ...
(2016-2019) and the
National Competitiveness Council The National Competitiveness Council (NCC; ) is an independent policy advisory body in Ireland. It reports to the Taoiseach on key competitiveness issues facing the Irish economy together with recommendations on policy actions required to enhance I ...
(since 2019).


Early life

She is a native of
Tuam Tuam ( ; ga, Tuaim , meaning 'mound' or 'burial-place') is a town in Ireland and the second-largest settlement in County Galway. It is west of the midlands of Ireland, about north of Galway city. Humans have lived in the area since the Bron ...
, Co. Galway. She entered
University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...
in 1968 and graduated in 1971 with a
B.A. Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four years ...
in
Economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...
, Politics & Statistics, and in 1973 with an
M.A. A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...
in Econometrics and Statistics.


Career


Early career

Between 1971 and 1974, she worked as a Planning Officer at the
Industrial Development Authority Industrial Development Agency (IDA Ireland) ( ga, An Ghníomhaireacht Forbartha Tionscail) is the agency responsible for the attraction and retention of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) into Ireland. The agency was founded in 1949 as the I ...
, which spawned her interest in FDI, and subsequently as a Research Economist at the
Central Bank of Ireland The Central Bank of Ireland ( ga, Banc Ceannais na hÉireann) is Ireland's central bank, and as such part of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). It is the country's financial services regulator for most categories of financial firms ...
. Between 1974 and 1979, she undertook a
MPhil The Master of Philosophy (MPhil; Latin ' or ') is a postgraduate degree. In the United States, an MPhil typically includes a taught portion and a significant research portion, during which a thesis project is conducted under supervision. An MPhil m ...
and then a
DPhil A Doctor of Philosophy (PhD, Ph.D., or DPhil; Latin: or ') is the most common degree at the highest academic level awarded following a course of study. PhDs are awarded for programs across the whole breadth of academic fields. Because it is a ...
in Economics, at
Nuffield College Nuffield College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. It is a graduate college and specialises in the social sciences, particularly economics, politics and sociology. Nuffield is one of Oxford's newer co ...
in
Oxford Oxford () is a city in England. It is the county town and only city of Oxfordshire. In 2020, its population was estimated at 151,584. It is north-west of London, south-east of Birmingham and north-east of Bristol. The city is home to the ...
. It was in Oxford that she got her first lecturing experience, teaching at
Balliol College Balliol College () is one of the constituent colleges of the University of Oxford in England. One of Oxford's oldest colleges, it was founded around 1263 by John I de Balliol, a landowner from Barnard Castle in County Durham, who provided the f ...
between 1975 and 1977.


Career in higher education

In 1977, after her MPhil, and while still studying for her DPhil, she took up a teaching post at
Trinity College, Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...
, becoming a Fellow in 1985 and promoted to Associate Professor in 1991. She was Bursar of Trinity College between 1991 and 1995 and Head of the Economics Department 1997-2000, the first female to have the role since the foundation of the Department. She was Editor of the
Economic and Social Review An economy is an area of the production, distribution and trade, as well as consumption of goods and services. In general, it is defined as a social domain that emphasize the practices, discourses, and material expressions associated with th ...
between 1981 and 1984 and was Research Director of the Foundation for Fiscal Studies between 1989 and 1996. Between 1998 and 2004, she served as Vice-President (1998-2000), President (2000-2002) and Vice-President (2002-2004) of the
Irish Economics Association Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
. In 2001, she ran unsuccessfully, as a candidate for Provost of Trinity College, an event later described by Prof
Jane Ohlmeyer Jane Ohlmeyer, , is a historian and academic, specialising in early modern Irish and British history. She is the Erasmus Smith's Professor of Modern History (1762) at Trinity College Dublin and Chair of the Irish Research Council, which funds f ...
as important for encouraging women to take on leadership roles in the Irish public service, creating "a crack in the glass ceiling". In 2003, she was made a member of the
Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned socie ...
. In 2002, together with other economists, she warned against "Benchmarking" pay increases proposed for Ireland's public sector. This prediction of significant economic costs was largely borne out following the end of Ireland's Celtic Tiger bubble, as the government was faced with a very large current spending deficit, following its permanent spending commitments on the back of temporary taxation revenues. Her interest in public policy led to the publication of "Governance and Policy Making in Ireland", co-edited with Donal de Buitléir, in 2003 and "Using Evidence to Inform Policy", co-edited with Pete Lunn, in 2013. Her principal academic research interests relate to FDI. Through her research, Ruane has contributed to the understanding of
international economics International economics is concerned with the effects upon economic activity from international differences in productive resources and consumer preferences and the international institutions that affect them. It seeks to explain the patterns and ...
,
industrial development Industrialisation ( alternatively spelled industrialization) is the period of social and economic change that transforms a human group from an agrarian society into an industrial society. This involves an extensive re-organisation of an econom ...
, structural change, and firm heterogeneity. For her academic research and public service, she was recognised with an Honorary Fellowship by Trinity College Dublin in 2010 and was invited to give the 21st Leonard Abrahamson Memorial Lecture by the
Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) is a medical professional and educational institution, which is also known as RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences, Ireland's first private university. It was established in 1784 ...
in 2011. She served as a member of the Council of the Royal Irish Academy between 2012 and 2015.


ESRI & later career

She succeeded Brendan Whelan as director of the ESRI on 1 December 2006 and retired in 2015. During her tenure as ESRI Director and since, Ruane has appeared regularly in the media.


Public body and voluntary roles

She has served on many committees and boards, including the
Higher Education Authority __NOTOC__ The Higher Education Authority (HEA), officially An tÚdarás um Ard-Oideachas, is the statutory body providing policy advice for higher education in Ireland. Description and functions The HEA was established under the Higher Educati ...
, the Health Research Board, the
Council of Economic Advisers (Scotland) The Council of Economic Advisers (CEA) in Scotland was a group of economists and leading figures from the private sector and academia who advised the Scottish Government. Its principal aims were to advise on improving the competitiveness of the ...
, the National Statistics Board, the European Advisory Committee on Statistical Information in the Economic and Social Spheres, the National Board for Science and Technology, and the boards of the
Industrial Development Authority Industrial Development Agency (IDA Ireland) ( ga, An Ghníomhaireacht Forbartha Tionscail) is the agency responsible for the attraction and retention of inward foreign direct investment (FDI) into Ireland. The agency was founded in 1949 as the I ...
,
Forfás Forfás () was the national policy advisory board for enterprise, trade, science, technology and innovation in Ireland. The agency was established in January 1994 under thIndustrial Development Act, 1993and was run by a board appointed by the Mi ...
, and
Bord Gáis Cucerdea ( hu, Oláhkocsárd, Hungarian pronunciation: ) is a commune in Mureș County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Bord (''Bord''), Cucerdea, and Șeulia de Mureș (''Oláhsályi''). The commune is located in the sout ...
. From 2016 to 2019, she served as Chair of the
Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland The Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland (SSISI) is a learned society which analyses the major changes that have taken place in population, employment, legal and administrative systems and social services in Ireland. It operates as ...
, one of Ireland's oldest learned societies; she was only the second female Chair in the Society's 170-year existence, after
Thekla Beere Thekla Beere (1902 – 19 February 1991) was an Irish civil servant who chaired the Ireland's Commission on the Status of Women in 1970 and was secretary of the Department of Transport and Power. She was the first woman to lead a government ...
. In 2017, she was named chair of the board at the
Abbey Theatre The Abbey Theatre ( ga, Amharclann na Mainistreach), also known as the National Theatre of Ireland ( ga, Amharclann Náisiúnta na hÉireann), in Dublin, Ireland, is one of the country's leading cultural institutions. First opening to the pu ...
. Since 2019, she has been Chair of Ireland's
National Competitiveness Council The National Competitiveness Council (NCC; ) is an independent policy advisory body in Ireland. It reports to the Taoiseach on key competitiveness issues facing the Irish economy together with recommendations on policy actions required to enhance I ...
.


References


External links


Research affiliate profile
at the
Economic and Social Research Institute The Economic and Social Research Institute is an Irish research institute founded in 1960 to provide evidence-based research used to inform public policy debate and decision-making. The research of the institute focuses on the areas of sustaina ...
(ESRI)
IDEAS/REPEC

Google Scholar
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ruane, Frances P. Living people Economic and Social Research Institute 21st-century Irish economists Irish women economists Academics of Trinity College Dublin People from Tuam People from County Galway 1951 births Members of the Royal Irish Academy 20th-century Irish economists