Two new Flash Reports prepared by the European Social Policy Network (ESPN) are now available and provide information on recent social policy developments in Germany and Ireland.

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• The COVID-19 crisis has illustrated the great importance of the public health service as well as the inadequacy of its personnel, financial and technical resources in Germany. A joint programme of the federal government and the Länder is to revitalise the public health service in the wake of the pandemic.
• In November 2020, the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) published a report on the future of the Irish social welfare system. This report offered a vision of what the welfare state should look like and what problems it should address. Among the report’s most novel suggestions is the piloting of a “participation income” scheme, which would reward activity of social value such as voluntary or currently unpaid caring and other work. This report opened up debate in Ireland about the way forward for the welfare state. On 2 June 2021, the government announced that it would pilot a full basic income scheme for artists.

The ESPN Flash Reports reflect the views only of the authors, and the European Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information they contain.