I am a former occupational therapist turned philosopher, holding degrees in occupational therapy and moral philosophy, and (still) completing a PhD in political theory. Before taking up a lecturing position in the Department of Philosophy, Trinity College Dublin in 2005 I taught in the UCD Equality Studies Centre, where I still teach the odd seminar course. In 2007-2008 I will be a visiting fellow at the TCD Policy Institute (funded by Combat Poverty Agency Ireland) as well as a visitor at the Centre for the Study of Social Justice (CSSJ) at Oxford University. My main research interests are in the interaction of philosophical analysis and policy development, with specific interest in welfare reform and employment regulation (in particular unconditional basic income), and more recently disability politics and public health issues. I am a Founding Editor of the interdisciplinary journal "Basic Income Studies", an Officer of the Association for Legal and Social Philosophy (ALSP), a Trustee of the UK Citizens' Income Trust (CIT) and have served for many years on the Executive Committee of the Basic Income Earth Network (BIEN).
Basic Income, Employment and Welfare Reform
The Handbook of Basic Income Research (with Jose Antonio Noguera, Yannick Vanderborght, and Karl Widerquist), edited volume, forthcoming with Blackwell Publishers (2008)
This Handbook will gather some of the most important readings on basic income from the...
Review Article: Recent Developments in the Basic Income Debate, in preparation for Journal of European Social Policy (2007)
This article reviews the current state of affairs in basic income research by looking in...
The Public Administration Case against Participation Income (with Lindsay Stirton), Social Service Review (2007)
Anthony Atkinson’s proposal for a participation income (PI) has been acclaimed as a workable compromise...
A Plea for the Use of Laboratory Experiments in Basic Income Research (with José Antonio Noguera), Basic Income Studies (2006)
In recent years interest in conducting a European basic income experiment, along the lines of...
The Political Resilience of Basic Income (2006)
Recent research in comparative policy has drawn attention to the importance of path-dependency and stickiness...
Democratic Theory
Recognition, Equality and Democracy: Theoretical Perspectives on Irish Politics (with Cillian McBride and Shane O'Neill) (2008)
This volume brings together a range of theoretical responses to issues in Irish politics. Its...
Introduction: Theorising Politics (with Cillian McBride and Shane O'Neill), Irish Political Studies (2007)
This is the introduction to a special issue of Irish Political Studies on "Recognition, Equality,...
The Morality and Heuristics of Consent, Deliberation and Decision: Economics, Constitutional Theory and Deliberative Democracy (2004)
In this chapter I comment on Andreas Suchanek's paper "What is Meant by Consent", published...
Vlaanderen voor het Blok? Het electorale succes van extreem-rechts herbekeken (with Michael Wagemans), Samenleving en Politiek (2001)
This brief note explores the continuing rise of the Flemish Blok, the extreme right-wing party...
Disability Rights and Politics
Disability Rights in Ireland: Chronicle of a Missed Opportunity (with Judy Walsh), Irish Political Studies (2007)
This article critically examines the Disability Act 2005 which regulates access to public services for...
Rights or Policy? A Rights-based Approach to Disability Services (with Judy Walsh) (2006)
This paper explores the role and justification of rights-based models of service delivery for disabled...
Moral and Political Philosophy
Egalitarianism, Free-rider, and Utilitarianism, International Encyclopaedia in Social Policy (2006)
I have authored three entries in this multi-volume Encyclopediae on social policy.
Altruism, Impartiality and Moral Demands, The Ethics of Altruism (2004)
Advocates of altruism maintain that altruism is an inherently beneficial and, therefore, morally desirable motivational...
Altruism, Impartiality and Moral Demands, Critical Review of International Social and Political Philosophy (2002)
Advocates of altruism maintain that altruism is an inherently beneficial and, therefore, morally desirable motivational...
Een liberale weg naar het nationalisme?, Een Vierde Weg? Links-Liberalisme als traditie en oriëntatiepunt (2001)
This chapter explores the possibility of a liberal road to nationalism. The main challenge, I...
Public Health Ethics
The Regulation of Suicide: Ethics, Policy, and Public Health (2006)
Suicide is a major cause of medical, social and political concern in most countries. According...
A Paradox in the Justification of Public Smoking Restrictions (2006)
Following recent legislation in the Republic of Ireland and elsewhere, radical smoking restrictions have become...
The Abuse of Rights in Tobacco Control Debates (2006)
Recent debates on tobacco control illustrate how contemporary political argument abuses rights discourse, substituting claims...
The Strategic Use of Argument in Tobacco Control: The Case of Workplace Smoking Bans in Ireland (with Carlos Bruen) (2006)
This paper discusses the debate leading up to the workplace smoking ban, instituted in Ireland...