Dr Micheál Collins is Assistant Professor of Social Policy at School of Social Policy, Social Work and Social Justice, University College Dublin. Prior to that, he was a Senior Economist at the Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI). His main research interests and publications are in the areas of income distribution, taxation, redistribution, economic evaluation and public policy. He was a member of the Commission on Taxation (2008-2009) and the Government's Advisory Group on Tax and Social Welfare (2011-2014). He is a former chair of the Irish Social Policy Association (ISPA) and the Regional Studies Association (RSA) of Ireland. He is currently a member of the National Competitiveness Council, the TCD Pensions Policy Research Group and the Living Wage Technical Group. Micheál is a native of Ennis in Co. Clare and a graduate of NUI Galway, UCC and the University of Dublin, Trinity College. He is a fellow of the Regional Studies Association (FeRSA). Follow me on twitter: @MLGCollins