John D. FitzGerald

This article is about the Irish economist. For the American writer, see John D. Fitzgerald.

John D. FitzGerald
Born
John Desmond FitzGerald

(1949-10-27) 27 October 1949 (age 75)
Rathmines, Dublin, Ireland
NationalityIrish
EducationGonzaga College
Alma materUniversity College Dublin
Occupation
SpouseEithne FitzGerald (m. 1972)
Children3
Parents

John Desmond FitzGerald (born 27 October 1949) is the former head of the macroeconomics and resource economics division and former coordinator of the research programme of macroeconomics of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in Dublin, Ireland. He joined the ESRI in 1984, after 12 years at the Department of Finance. He holds master's degrees in history and economics from University College Dublin.

He is a former member of the Independent Expert Panel Commission established by the Department of Communications Energy and Natural Resources in 2016. He was also a member of the Commission of the Central Bank of Ireland.[1][2] FitzGerald was a member of the National Economic and Social Council, the EU Group for Economic Analysis, the Northern Ireland Authority for Energy Regulation, and the Renewable Energy Strategy Group. He was president of the Irish Economic Association and president of the EuroFRAME group of economic forecasters.

FitzGerald has made contributions to economic policy in Ireland, ranging from investment priorities[3] and structural funds, to energy policy and membership of the Economic and Monetary Union. He was the lead author of the influential ESRI Medium-Term Review (up until his retirement from the ESRI in 2014[4]), which provides 7-year forecasts for economic development in Ireland and is published every 3–4 years.

Fitzgerald expressed regret over not fully anticipating the effects of the Irish credit bubble during his time at the ESRI.[4][5] The ESRI May 2008 Medium-Term Review (No. 11)[6] forecast a softer outcome for Ireland's deflating credit bubble.[7][8] Fitzgerald's earlier ESRI December 2005 Medium-Term Review (No. 10) had forewarned that the strength of Ireland's growth, in the light of growing global imbalances, was a material risk factor.[9][10] The ESRI had begun to use the term "property bubble" (and referred to the OECD research on Ireland's property market) in April 2006.[11]

Fitzgerald is also a prolific financial writer and columnist in the Irish financial media on various economic and social issues.

His father is former Irish Taoiseach Garret FitzGerald, his grandfather is former Irish Minister Desmond FitzGerald, and he is married to former Irish Minister Eithne FitzGerald.

His brother is Mark Fitzgerald, co-founder and former CEO of Ireland's largest residential estate agency, Sherry Fitzgerald Group & Cushman & Wakefield Ireland (Formerly DTZ Sherry FitzGerald).[12][13]

  1. ^ Regulator, Financial. "The Commission". www.centralbank.ie. Archived from the original on 1 October 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  2. ^ "Person | ESRI - The Economic and Social Research Institute". www.esri.ie. Retrieved 28 March 2017.
  3. ^ "National Development Plan 2007/2013 ESRI's Ex-ante Evaluation: Exceptional demand for Irish property is squeezing out the export sector through its adverse effects on competitiveness". FinFacts. 24 October 2006.
  4. ^ a b "'We got it wrong and thought Ireland would escape. That was a low point personally'". Irish Independent. 23 October 2014.
  5. ^ "FitzGerald: My regrets over crash are with me until I die". Irish Independent. 12 February 2015.
  6. ^ "MEDIUM-TERM REVIEW (No 11) 2008 to 2015" (PDF). Economic and Social Research Institute. May 2008.
  7. ^ "ESRI medium term optimism". Irish Times. 14 May 2008.
  8. ^ "We made a 'bad mistake' not predicting the banking crisis - but so did everyone else". thejournal.ie. 15 February 2015.
  9. ^ "Irish Economy: Medium-Term Review:2005-2012 - ESRI says aura of invincibility coupled with considerable risks". FinFacts. 16 December 2005.
  10. ^ "MEDIUM-TERM REVIEW (No 10) 2008 to 2015" (PDF). Economic and Social Research Institute. December 2005.
  11. ^ "ESRI Quarterly Economic Commentary Spring 2006". Economic and Social Research Institute. April 2006. Archived from the original on 1 October 2006.
  12. ^ "Making his mark not in politics but in property". Irish Times. 10 April 1999.
  13. ^ "Mark FitzGerald to step down as CEO but remain Chairman of Sherry FitzGerald Group". SherryFitzgerald Group. 20 June 2017.