Ahern Fianna Fáil-PD-Green era: Celtic Tiger peak

Doctrine — stated goals and content

Economic school: Ahern Celtic Tiger pro-business centrism — low-tax supply-side small-open-economy with social partnership and large public-service expansion funded by property-boom revenues. Left-right axis: centre (pro-business with expansive welfare). Dated policies: corporate tax rate standardisation to 12.5% (Finance Act 1999, effective 1 January 2003); Good Friday / Belfast Agreement 10 April 1998 and referendums 22 May 1998; euro entry 1 January 1999 / notes 1 January 2002; Programme for Prosperity and Fairness 2000 and Sustaining Progress 2003 social partnership deals; public-service "benchmarking" pay awards 2002 and 2007 raising public-pay premium ~15-25%; National Development Plan 2000-2006 and 2007-2013; FDI-driven growth peak (Intel, Microsoft, Pfizer); Decentralisation Programme 2003 (largely cancelled); Special Savings Incentive Scheme (SSIA) 2001-2007 state-matched savings scheme; capital-gains tax cut from 40% to 20% (1998); stamp-duty property-market incentives; mortgage interest relief expansion 2003; PRSI reforms; property- incentive tax reliefs accelerating construction share to ~13% GDP by 2006; pensions commission; healthcare co-location private-hospital initiative 2005; referendum acceptance of Nice 2002, rejection of Lisbon June 2008. Popularity: 1997 FF 39.3% (returned to power after Rainbow); 2002 FF 41.5% (rare incumbent gain); 2007 FF 41.6% (third consecutive election win — unique in Irish post-war history); Ahern resigned May 2008 amid tribunal finance allegations; financial crisis struck that autumn. Coherence: high through 2006; housing- bubble and banking-regulator-capture dimensions later exposed (Nyberg/Honohan reports 2010-2011).