The measurement of social disadvantage and its spatial articulation in the Republic of Ireland

Abstract

This article contributes to policy research by developing a reliable aggregate measure of social need in small areas and by describing how this index can be used to evaluate public interventions in disadvantaged areas. Spatially-targeted initiatives to combat disadvantage have been implemented in many OECD countries, and the availability of EU funding has encouraged their diffusion. The longitudinal analysis and evaluation of these initiatives is difficult using existing indices, as these do not facilitate comparisons over time. In this article, we describe an alternative approach that relies on Confirmatory Factor Analysis and permits diachronic analyses.