Address:
Department of Regional & Urban Planning
University College Dublin,
Richview, Clonskeagh,
Dublin 14

Tel: 00 353 1 706 2778;   Fax: 00 353 1 706 1179
E-mail: dmongey@ucd.ie

Director:  Professor Michael J. Bannon
Administration: Deirdre Mongey (full-time) & Marguerite Curran (part-time)

The Service Industries Research Centre (SIRC) was established in University College Dublin in 1988 to promote a greater awareness and a better understanding of the role of services activities in Ireland's social and economic development. The establishment of the Centre was as a direct response to the greater awareness of the importance of the services sector and in particular its contribution to economic growth and employment.   The Centre's main focus has been on economic and development studies in the services sector both in Europe and developing countries and the provision of technical expertise.

The Director of the Centre is now also the Head of the Department of Regional and Urban Planning.  The Centre now complements and augments the core research work of this Department.  The Centre still remains focused upon the role of services as the drivers of economic development and the creator of virtually all new employment sources, with consequent implications for countries, regions and for localities. An important aspect of these changes derives from the need for an education and training policy as a fundamental component of development.

SIRC is a founder member of the Irish Coalition of Service Industries which was established in 1995 to promote the interests of the service sector in Ireland.  The Centre is also a member of the Services World Forum whose purpose is to facilitate the exchange of ideas among all those interested in the world services economy by facilitating dialogue among its members, publishing information on services in the world economy and organising conferences, symposia and similar meetings on services issues.

Since 1994 the Centre has secured funding for a Newman Scholarship offered by the Irish Music Rights Organisation. The Scholarship is offered over a three year period.  In September 1997 Bernadette Quinn completed her Scholarship at the centre. The purpose of the scholarship over the three year period was to examine the social and economic contribution of music to society.  During her three years at the centre Bernadette published, among others, four Working Papers for the Centre's Working Paper Series.  The Irish Music Rights Organisation have given a commitment to renew their funding for a new Scholarship.

The Centre since its inception has been active in publishing the results of work undertaken on service sector issues. The Centre has, for example, published a series of Working Papers which are listed below. In addition, the members of the Centre have contributed to academic publications and have presented papers at international conferences in Europe and America. Click here for a full list of SIRC Working Papers.

SIRC also publishes, twice a year, a newsletter, ServiNews, which highlights issues relating to the services sector on a national and international level. The ServiNews (Autumn/Winter 1997 edition) is now available on-line.