Economy of Ireland
Irish One Euro coin
Currency	1 Euro = 100 eurocent
Fiscal year	Calendar year
Trade organisations	EU, WTO and OECD
Statistics
GDP (PPP)	€161.6 bn (2005) (48th [2])
GDP growth	4.7% (2005 est.)
GDP per capita	$41,000 (2005 est.)
GDP by sector	agriculture (5%), manufacturing (46%), services (49%) (2002)
Inflation (CPI)	3.9% (2006)
Population below poverty line	10% (1997 est.)
Labour force	2.154 million (2006[37] )
Labour force by occupation	services (64%), manufacturing (29%), agriculture (8%) (2005)
Unemployment	4.4% (July 2006) [3]
Main industries	steel, lead, zinc, silver, aluminium, barite, and gypsum mining processing; food, brewing, textiles, clothing; chemicals, pharmacology; machinery, rail transportation equipment, passenger and commercial vehicles, ship construction and refurbishment; glass and crystal; computer software, tourism
Trading partners
Exports	$102 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Export goods	machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals; live animals, animal products
Main export partners	United States 18.7%, United Kingdom 17.3%, Belgium 15.1%, Germany 7.3%, Netherlands 4.8% (2005)
Imports	$65.47 billion f.o.b. (2005 est.)
Import goods	data processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals, petroleum and petroleum products, textiles, clothing
Main import partners	UK 36.8%, United States 13.8%, Germany 9.1%, Netherlands 4.5% (2005)
Public finances
Public debt	€37.2 bn (27% of GDP) (June 2006)
Revenues	€44.3 bn (2006)
Expenses	€45.4 billion (2006)
Economic aid	donor: ODA, €735 mn (2005)
Main source All values, unless otherwise stated, are in US dollars

The economy of Ireland is modern and trade-dependent with growth averaging a robust 10% in 1995–2000. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 46% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and employs 29% of the labour force. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland's robust growth, the economy is also benefiting from a rise in consumer spending and recovery in both construction and business investment. The annual rate of inflation stands at 5.1% as of 2007, up from recent rates of between 3% and 4%. House price inflation has been a particular economic concern (average house price was €251,281 in February 2005). Unemployment is low but is rising ^[1] and up to 30,000 jobs may be lost between 2007 and 2008^[2] much of which is attributed to a slowdown in house building. Incomes have been rising rapidly^[3] as well as service charges (utilities, insurance, healthcare, legal representation, etc.). Dublin, the nation's capital, was ranked 16th in a worldwide cost of living survey in 2006^[4] (up from 22nd in 2004 and 24th in 2003).^[5] Ireland has the second highest per capita income of any country in the EU next to Luxembourg, and fourth highest in the world based on measurements of Gross Domestic Product (GDP) per capita. Many economists feel^{[citation needed]} that GDP per capita is an inappropriate measure of national income for Ireland because it repatriation of profits by multinational companies. Gross National Income per capita, takes account of this. In 2005, the World Bank measured Ireland's GNI per head at $41140 - the seventh highest in the world, sixth highest in Western Europe, and the third highest of any EU member state. Image of euro coinage. ... “EUR” redirects here. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), (in French: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, OCDE) is an international organisation of those developed countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. ... Gross domestic product (by purchasing power parity) in 2006 The Purchasing power parity (PPP) theory was developed by Gustav Cassel in 1920. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Gross domestic product (by purchasing power parity) in 2006 There are three lists of countries of the world sorted by their gross domestic product (GDP) (the value of all final goods and services produced within a nation in a given year). ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ... A consumer price index (CPI) along with a population census, is one of the two most important products of national statistical offices. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Map of countries showing percentage of population who have an income below the national poverty line The poverty line is the level of income below which one cannot afford to purchase all the resources one requires to live. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Early elections in November are announced in the Netherlands. ... The steel cable of a colliery winding tower. ... For Pb as an abbreviation, see PB. General Name, Symbol, Number lead, Pb, 82 Chemical series Post-transition metals or poor metals Group, Period, Block 14, 6, p Appearance bluish gray Standard atomic weight 207. ... General Name, Symbol, Number zinc, Zn, 30 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 12, 4, d Appearance bluish pale gray Standard atomic weight 65. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Standard atomic weight 107. ... General Name, Symbol, Number aluminium, Al, 13 Chemical series poor metals Group, Period, Block 13, 3, p Appearance silvery Standard atomic weight 26. ... Baryte with Cerussite from Morocco Baryte with Galena and Hematite from Poland Barite (BaSO4) is a mineral consisting of barium sulfate. ... It has been suggested that Selenite be merged into this article or section. ... Chuquicamata, the largest open pit copper mine in the world, Chile. ... A 16th century brewer A 21st century brewer This article concerns the production of alcoholic beverages. ... “fabric” redirects here. ... Clothing protects the vulnerable nude human body from the extremes of weather, other features of our environment, and for safety reasons. ... Water and steam are two different forms of the same chemical substance A chemical substance is any material with a definite chemical composition, no matter where it comes from. ... Pharmacology (in Greek: pharmakos (φάρμακον) meaning drug, and logos (λόγος) meaning science) is the study of how substances interact with living organisms to produce a change in function. ... It has been suggested that Local trains be merged into this article or section. ... The Trikke is a Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) This article is about the means of transport. ... Italian Full rigged ship Amerigo Vespucci in New York Harbor, 1976 A ship is a large watercraft capable of offshore navigation. ... Glass can be made transparent and flat, or into other shapes and colors as shown in this sphere from the Verrerie of Brehat in Brittany. ... Quartz crystal Synthetic bismuth hopper crystal Insulin crystals Gallium, a metal that easily forms large single crystals A huge monocrystal of potassium dihydrogen phosphate grown from solution by Saint-Gobain for the megajoule laser of CEA. In chemistry and mineralogy, a crystal is a solid in which the constituent atoms... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Computer program. ... Tourists on Oahu, Hawaii Tourism is travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes or the provision of services to support this leisure travel. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... June 2006 : ← - January - February - March - April - May - June - July - August - September - October - November - December- → Extraordinary renditions. ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... For the Manfred Mann album, see 2006 (album). ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged into Development aid. ... Year 2005 (MMV) was a common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar) of the Gregorian calendar. ... ISO 4217 Code USD User(s) the United States, the British Indian Ocean Territory,[1] the British Virgin Islands, East Timor, Ecuador, El Salvador, the Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Palau, Panama, Turks and Caicos Islands, and the insular areas of the United States Inflation 2. ... In economics the labor force is the group of people who have a potential for being employed. ... Consumer demand or consumption is also known as personal consumption expenditure. ... This article or section does not cite any references or sources. ... Invest redirects here. ... 2007 is a common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A public utility is a company that maintains the infrastructure for a public service. ... Insurance, in law and economics, is a form of risk management primarily used to hedge against the risk of a contingent loss. ... Health care or healthcare is one of the worlds largest and fastest growing professions. ... A lawyer, according to Blacks Law Dictionary, is a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person licensed to practice law. ... The Spire at night WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: 01, +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... This article is about a city that serves as a center of government and politics. ... ... The borders of Western Europe were largely defined by the Cold War. ...

History

Main articles: Economic history of Ireland and Social Partnership

The state known today as Ireland seceded from the United Kingdom in 1922. The state was troubled by poverty and emigration until the early 1990s. These problems virtually disappeared over the course of that decade, which saw the beginning of unprecedented economic growth, in a phenomenon known as the "Celtic Tiger". Over the past two decades, the Irish government has implemented a series of national economic programmes designed to curb inflation, ease tax burdens, reduce government spending as a percentage of GDP, increase labour force skills, and promote foreign investment. Ireland joined in launching the euro currency system in January 1999 along with ten other European Union countries. The economy felt the impact of the global economic slowdown in 2001, particularly in the high-tech export sector – the growth rate in that area was cut by nearly half. GDP growth continued to be exceptionally high in international terms, with a rate of about 6% in 2001 and 2002 – and it is expected to continue at more than 4 per cent (2006 onwards). Since 2001, GNI (which measures income to Irish residents rather than output) growth has been much slower. // History until the Enlightenment The first settlers in Ireland were seafarers who survived largely by fishing, hunting and gathering. ... Social Partnership is the term used for the tripartite, triennial national wage agreements reached in the Republic of Ireland. ... Cartoon of the Celtic Tiger. ... “EUR” redirects here. ...

Infrastructure

Ireland's transport infrastructure came under strain due to the economic expansion of the past decade. Since 1993, road transport has been coordinated by the National Roads Authority in the case of the National Primary Routes, which are the most heavily used roads,^[6] The National Secondary Routes act as regional roads and linkages between the primary routes. The Dublin area is served by a light rail network (the Luas), the Dublin Port Tunnel the M50, Dublin Airport, Dublin Suburban Rail and the DART. The National Roads Authority (NRA) (Irish: An tÚdarás um Bóithre Náisiúnta) is a State body in the Republic of Ireland, responsible for the national road network. ... A directional road sign in the Republic of Ireland on an other road (not a national road) at Portlaoise, County Laois, including patches for national roads and advance warning of bridge height restrictions. ... A National Secondary Route is a category of road in the Republic of Ireland. ... The Spire at night WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: 01, +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... Luas (Irish for speed), also promoted in the development stage as the Dublin Light Rail System, currently encompasses two unconnected on-street light rail lines in Dublin, Ireland. ... Dublin Port Tunnel Construction, 2004 December 2006, southbound entrance The Dublin Port Tunnel (Tollán Calafoirt Bhaile Átha Cliath in Irish) is a road traffic tunnel in Dublin, Ireland, that forms part of the M50 motorway. ... The M50 motorway is a motorway and National Primary Route in the Republic of Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. ... Dublin Airport (IATA: DUB, ICAO: EIDW), or Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath in Irish, is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority plc. ... The Dublin Suburban Rail network (now branded DART/Commuter) is a railway network that serves the city of Dublin, Ireland, aswell as most of the Greater Dublin Area. ... An 8200 Class DART unit, Iarnród Éireann 8203, at Grand Canal Dock station in 2001 Some DART trains feature these LED route describers - green indicates the route which has already been travelled, orange the route expected to be followed and flashing red the next station. ...

The DART is a key piece of infrastructure in Dublin for commuters

Ireland's rail network is run by the semi-state body Iarnród Éireann, a subsidiary of CIÉ and is made up of 9 national lines and several regional commuter lines such as the DART. CIÉ retain some freight customers, though few new freight services have started in recent years. Only some major ports remain technically freight-connected, the connection at Sligo for example was removed in 2003, while the link to Foynes has remained unused since 1999. The efficiency of the train network is poor, with regular delays and overcrowding on major routes. Some regional routes have few services, and as a result, struggle to achieve passengers. Much new rolling stock has been acquired since 1994, and as of 2004, this is finally beginning to expand capacity rather than just replacing old stock. Most major routes have been relaid with continuous welded rail, and signalling has in most cases been upgraded from the more than century-old mechanical semaphores. Dublin Area Rapid Transit 1500v DC Unit No. ... Dublin Area Rapid Transit 1500v DC Unit No. ... An 8200 Class DART unit, Iarnród Éireann 8203, at Grand Canal Dock station in 2001 Some DART trains feature these LED route describers - green indicates the route which has already been travelled, orange the route expected to be followed and flashing red the next station. ... The Spire at night WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: 01, +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... 1994: Iarnród Éireann Iarnród Éireann (IÉ; in English Irish Rail), is the national passenger railway system in Ireland. ... Córas Iompair Éireann[1] (CIÉ) is a statutory authority which is owned by the Irish Government. ... An 8200 Class DART unit, Iarnród Éireann 8203, at Grand Canal Dock station in 2001 Some DART trains feature these LED route describers - green indicates the route which has already been travelled, orange the route expected to be followed and flashing red the next station. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 54. ... Foynes (Faing in Irish) is a small town and major port in County Limerick in the midwest of Ireland, located at the edge of hilly land on the southern bank of the Shannon Estuary. ...

The country has a total of 15 airports and airfields, of which 3 - Dublin Airport, Shannon International Airport and Cork International Airport are of a substantial size. The country is served by several airlines, most notably Aer Lingus, Ryanair, Aer Arann, and CityJet. Air transport is relatively cheap. The main ports are Rosslare Europort, Limerick, Dublin, Cork and Waterford. There are daily ferry services to Britain. Dublin Airport (IATA: DUB, ICAO: EIDW), or Aerfort Bhaile Átha Cliath in Irish, is operated by the Dublin Airport Authority plc. ... Shannon Airport (IATA Airport Code; SNN, ICAO Airport Code; EINN) is Irelands main transatlantic airport. ... Cork Airport (IATA: ORK, ICAO: EICK) or Aerfort Chorcaí in Irish. ... Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland. ... Ryanair (ISEQ: RYA, LSE: RYA, NASDAQ: RYAAY) is an Irish airline headquartered in Dublin; however, its biggest operational base is at London Stansted Airport. ... Aer Arann is a privately-held regional airline based in Dublin, Ireland. ... CityJet is an airline based in Dublin, Ireland and owned by Air France. ... Rosslare Europort is a modern seaport located at Rosslare Harbour in County Wexford, at the southeasternmost point of Irelands coastline, handling passenger and freight ferries to and from the United Kingdom and France. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Irish Grid Reference R574572 Statistics Province: Munster County: Area: 20. ... The Spire at night WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: 01, +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Munster County: Area: 37. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: 52. ...

The telecommunications network is slowly improving, admittedly from a low base. As of 2004 broadband is available to approximately 50% of homes and businesses, with about 15% geographic coverage - however it remains relatively expensive. Coverage may expand if the telephone network is refurbished - currently 25% of lines connected to broadband-enabled exchanges cannot avail of broadband, due to bad line quality. The former state telecoms giant, Eircom, is on the record as not keeping up with line degradation in their network maintenance. The mobile market has four providers - 3 Ireland, O2 Ireland, Meteor and Vodafone Ireland. The electricity transmission system is run by the Electricity Supply Board and is available nationwide. The gas network is currently being expanded. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... eircom Group plc is the largest telecommunications operator in the Republic of Ireland. ... O2 Ireland is a GSM mobile telecommunications operator in the Republic of Ireland. ... Meteor Mobile Communications Limited is a mobile telecommunications company in the Republic of Ireland. ... Vodafone Ireland, part of the Vodafone Group, is the largest mobile phone company in the Republic of Ireland, and was previously called Eircell. ... The Electricity Supply Board (ESB) (Bord Soláthair an Leictreachais in Irish), sometimes called ESB Ireland to differentiate it from US utilities, is responsible for generating and transmitting most of the electricity in the Republic of Ireland. ...

See also: Transportation in Ireland, Rail transport in Ireland, Roads in Ireland, Communications in Ireland Most of the transport system in Ireland rests in public hands, both north and south of the border. ... Most rail services in Ireland are provided by Iarnród Éireann in the Republic of Ireland, and by Northern Ireland Railways in Northern Ireland. ... A directional road sign in the Republic of Ireland on an other road (not a national road) at Portlaoise, County Laois, including patches for national roads and advance warning of bridge height restrictions. ... Communications in the Republic of Ireland, including postal services run by An Post, are regulated to a large extent by the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), the Minister for Communications, Marine & Natural Resources has overall responsibility for national policy and regulation. ...

Energy

The vast majority of Irish energy needs are met by fossil fuels. About 98% of Ireland's final energy demand is produced by burning coal, petroleum, peat, or natural gas. This over reliance on fossil fuels - particularly oil - has left the Ireland vulnerable to international price fluctuations as it imports all of its oil needs. As part of its National Development Plan the Government adopted the Sustainable Energy Act (2002) and created Sustainable Energy Ireland as the nation's energy regulator. As part of their objectives to promote environmentally and economically sustainable energy production, electrical generation from peat consumption, as a percent of total electrical generation, was reduced from 18.8% to 6.1%, between 1990 and 2004.^[7] Likewise, coal consumption was reduced from 41.7% to 27.6%. Making up for this, the share of natural gas in electrical generation increased from 26.7% to 44.8%. Renewable energy, from biomass, wind and hydro, also increased from 1.9% to 2.6% in the same time period. A forecast by Sustainable Energy Ireland predicts that oil will no longer be used for electrical generation but natural gas will be dominant at 71.3% of the total share, coal at 9.2%, and renewable energy at 8.2% of the market.^[7] Wind power is quickly developing in the country by Airtricity and Hibernia Wind Energy (a subsidiary of the Electricity Supply Board) and many other companies. As of December 2005, there were fifty wind farms operational in Ireland with a combined capacity of 500 MW - generating enough energy for 300,000 homes, depending on wind conditions. In addition, a further 600 MW of wind farms (40 more) have signed connection agreements to link to the power system at high voltage or low voltage, and up to 200 MW of wind farms have received connection offers. Should these reach capacity, Ireland may exceed its EU target of 13.2 per cent of electricity generated from renewable sources by 2010. In addition to wind farms, electricity is also generated at large scale hydro schemes on the Shannon, Erne, Liffey and Lee rivers, and at mini-hydro stations, as well as landfill gas generating plants in Cork and Dublin cities. Coal Coal (IPA: ) is a fossil fuel formed in swamp ecosystems where plant remains were saved by water and mud from oxidization and biodegradation. ... Pumpjack pumping an oil well near Lubbock, Texas Ignacy Łukasiewicz - inventor of the refining of kerosene from crude oil. ... Peat in Lewis, Scotland Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter. ... Natural gas is a gaseous fossil fuel consisting primarily of methane but including significant quantities of ethane, butane, propane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, helium and hydrogen sulfide. ... The National Development Plan was created to develop Irelands infrastructure to help invest the rewards from the economic success of the Celtic Tiger National Development Plan (NDP) is the title given by the Irish Government to a scheme of organised large-scale expenditure on (mainly) national infrastructure. ... Airtricity is a wind farm operator in Ireland. ... The Electricity Supply Board (ESB) (Bord Soláthair an Leictreachais in Irish), sometimes called ESB Ireland to differentiate it from US utilities, is responsible for generating and transmitting most of the electricity in the Republic of Ireland. ...

Statistics^[8]

Peat once provided much of Ireland's energy needs

• Electricity production: 23.41 billion kWh (2003)
• Energy production by source: oil: 55.8%, natural gas: 24.3%, coal: 12.9%; peat: 3.8%; renewables: 2.2%; nuclear: 0% (2004)^[7]
• Electricity consumption: 22.97 billion kWh (2003)
• Electricity exports: 0 (2003)
• Electricity imports: 1.2 billion kWh (2003)
• Oil consumption: 175,600 bbl/day (27,918 m³) per day (2003 est.)
• Natural gas production: 673 million m³ (2003 est.)
• Natural gas consumption: 4.298 billion m³ (2003 est.)
• Natural gas proved reserves: 19.82 billion m³ (As of 1 January 2002)

Peat in Scotland by Wojsyl, June 2004, GNU FDL File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Peat in Scotland by Wojsyl, June 2004, GNU FDL File history Legend: (cur) = this is the current file, (del) = delete this old version, (rev) = revert to this old version. ... Peat in Lewis, Scotland Peat is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation matter. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January events January 1 Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January events January 1 Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January events January 1 Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January events January 1 Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January events January 1 Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January events January 1 Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January events January 1 Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ... is the 1st day of the year in the Gregorian calendar. ... For album titles with the same name, see 2002 (album). ...

Monetary system

As the country is a member of the Economic and Monetary Union of the European Union, the euro is the currency. The Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of Ireland is the country's central bank and financial services regulator, and an agent for the European Central Bank which sets the interest rates. The low interest rates of the ECB - to stimulate the Eurozone - has helped to sustain the very high growth rate of Ireland, leading to high levels of inflation in the country. For example, increased inflation on housing, from IRE£9,000 (€11,430) in 1973 to €220,000 in 2004 has led to young couples accepting large mortgages and the wealthy buying investment properties. It is arguable that if Ireland had its own currency, interest rates would be higher and inflation would be reduced- however so would economic growth. Fears of overheating (that is excessive growth) of the economy due to the Euro seem to be unfounded, at least up to the present. In economics, a monetary union is a situation where several countries have agreed to share a single currency among them. ... “EUR” redirects here. ... Banc Ceannais na hÉireann or the Central Bank of Ireland is the Republic of Ireland which had control of the issue of Irish banknotes and coins. ... Headquarters Frankfurt, Germany Established 1 January 1998 President Jean-Claude Trichet Central Bank of Austria, Belgium, France, Finland, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Portugal, Spain Currency Euro -ISO 4217 Code EUR Reserves >€4 billion Base borrowing rate 4. ... The Eurozone (also called Euro Area, Eurosystem or Euroland) refers to the European Union member states that have adopted the euro currency union. ...

While there are over 60 credit institutions incorporated in Ireland,^[9] the banking system is dominated by the Big Four - AIB Bank, Bank of Ireland, Ulster Bank and National Irish Bank.^[10] There is a large Credit Union movement within the country which offers an alternative to the banks. The Irish Stock Exchange is in Dublin, however, due to its small size, many firms also maintain listings on either the London Stock Exchange or the NASDAQ. The insurance industry in Ireland is a leader in both retail markets and corporate customers in the EU, in large part due to the International Financial Services Centre.^[11] Big Four or The Big Four may refer to: // See also: Big Four (companies) and Big Four (banks). ... Allied Irish Banks plc (AIB),ISEQ: ALBK, LSE: ALBK, NYSE: AIB, FWB:AIB is a commercial bank based in Ireland not to be mistaken for Anglo Irish Bank. ... The Bank of Ireland (ISEQ: BKIR_p) LSE: BKIR NYSE: IRE, officially known as the Governor and Company of the Bank of Ireland is a commercial bank operation on the island of Ireland, one of the Big Four. The bank was formed by an Act of the Irish Parliament in 1782... Ulster Bank (Irish: Banc Uladh) is a large commercial bank, one of the Big Four in Ireland. ... National Irish Bank (NIB) (Irish: Banc Éireannach Náisiúnta) is a commercial bank in the Republic of Ireland, one of the traditional Big Four. ... A credit union is a cooperative financial institution that is owned and controlled by its members. ... The Irish Stock Exchange (ISE) is Irelands stock exchange and can trace its history to 1793. ... The Spire at night WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: 01, +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... This is a list of companies on the Irish Stock Exchange, based in Dublin. ... The Source by Greyworld, in the new LSE building Paternoster Square. ... NASDAQ in Times Square, New York City. ... Famine sculpture in front of the International Financial Services Centre, Dublin. ...

Economic sectors

The chart displays the make up of Irish GDP

The Irish economy's secondary and tertiary sectors are of a similar size in fiscal terms however in terms of labour, the tertiary sector is far larger. Similarly in fiscal terms the primary sector appears small, however it still employs about 8% of the workforce. Chart showing the value of each sector of the Irish economy File links The following pages link to this file: Economy of the Republic of Ireland Categories: GFDL images ... Chart showing the value of each sector of the Irish economy File links The following pages link to this file: Economy of the Republic of Ireland Categories: GFDL images ...

Primary sector

The primary sector constitutes 5% of Irish GDP, and 8% of Irish employment. Ireland's main economic resource is its large fertile pastures, particularly the midland and southern regions. In 2004, Ireland exported approximately €7.15 billion worth of agri-food and drink (about 8.4% of Ireland's exports), mainly as cattle, beef, and dairy products, and mainly to the United Kingdom.^[12] As the European Union's Common Agricultural Policy takes force Ireland's agriculture industry is expected to decline in importance.^[13] The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies and programmes. ...

Trawlers sit in Killybegs harbour, in County Donegal, one of Ireland's biggest fishing ports. Over fishing has depleted Ireland's cod stocks in particular.

Due to unsustainable nineteenth century forestry practices the island was mostly deforested. In 2005, after years of national afforestation programs, about 9% of Ireland has become forested.^[14] It is still the least forested country in the EU and heavily relies on imported wood. ^[15] Its coastline - once abundant in fish, particularly cod - has suffered overfishing and since 1995 the fisheries industry has focused more on aquaculture. Freshwater salmon and trout stocks in Ireland's waterways have also been depleted but are being better managed.^[16] Ireland is a major exporter of zinc to the EU and mining also produces significant quanties of lead and alumina.^[17] Beyond this, the country has significant deposits of gypsum, limestone, and smaller quantities of copper, silver, gold, barite, and dolomite.^[18] Peat extraction has historically been important, especially from midland bogs, however more efficient fuels and environmental protection of bogs has reduced peat's importance to the economy.^[19] Natural gas extraction occurs in the Kinsale Gas Field and the Corrib Gas Field in the southern and western counties,^[20] where there is 19.82 bn cubic metres of proven reserves.^[18] Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 151 KB) Killybegs, Donegal, Ireland. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (1024x768, 151 KB) Killybegs, Donegal, Ireland. ... Killybegs is an important fishing port in Ireland, and its harbour is often full with trawlers. ... Statistics Province: Ulster County Town: Lifford Code: DL Area: 4,841 km² Population (2006) 146,956 Website: www. ... the world is coming to the end!!!!! cod is going to eat up alive and do us hard up the emmm. ... the world is coming to the end!!!!! cod is going to eat up alive and do us hard up the emmm. ... Workers harvest catfish from the Delta Pride Catfish farms in Mississippi Aquaculture is the cultivation of the natural produce of water (fish, shellfish, algae and other aquatic organisms). ... It has been suggested that Selenite be merged into this article or section. ... -1... General Name, Symbol, Number copper, Cu, 29 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 4, d Appearance metallic pinkish red Standard atomic weight 63. ... General Name, Symbol, Number silver, Ag, 47 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 5, d Appearance lustrous white metal Standard atomic weight 107. ... General Name, Symbol, Number gold, Au, 79 Chemical series transition metals Group, Period, Block 11, 6, d Appearance metallic yellow Standard atomic weight 196. ... Baryte with Cerussite from Morocco Baryte with Galena and Hematite from Poland Barite (BaSO4) is a mineral consisting of barium sulfate. ... Dolomite crystals from Touissite, Morocco Dolomite is the name of both a carbonate rock and a mineral consisting of calcium magnesium carbonate (formula: CaMg(CO3)2) found in crystals. ...

Secondary sector

The secondary sector constitutes 46% of Irish GDP — but only 29% of the labour force. Dominated for many years by textile companies like Fruit of the Loom, the sector is now largely made up of high-tech/high value multi-nationals such as Dell, Intel, Pfizer and IBM. The secondary sector in Ireland manufactures products such as computers (25% of Europe's computers are made in Ireland, the European Headquarters of Apple Computer are in Cork City), computer parts (Intel processors are made in Ireland), drugs (much of Europe's supply of Viagra is made in Cork), confectionery (HB, Jacobs and Cadbury-Schweppes all have significant Irish operations - although Cadbury-Schweppes does not manufacture Schweppes products in Ireland or the UK), beer (the Guinness and Smithwicks, and Harp Lager breweries are located in Ireland), high quality glass and crystal (Waterford Crystal is made in County Waterford), software (Ireland is the world's largest exporter of software - Oracle and Microsoft both have large operations in Dublin) and machinery. The sector faces increasing competition from cheaper Eastern European countries such as Poland and many Asian countries such as the People's Republic of China, particularly in the lower skill areas such as confectionery manufacturing. The industrial production growth rate in 2003 was 6.7%. It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with Fruit of the Loom Guys. ... Dell Inc. ... Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC, SEHK: 4335), founded in 1968 as Integrated Electronics Corporation, is an American multinational corporation that is best known for designing and manufacturing microprocessors and specialized integrated circuits. ... Pfizer, Incorporated (NYSE: PFE) (pronounced faɪzəɹ or faɪzÉ™), is the worlds largest pharmaceutical company. ... International Business Machines Corporation (known as IBM or Big Blue; NYSE: IBM) is a multinational computer technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, USA. The company is one of the few information technology companies with a continuous history dating back to the 19th century. ... The tower of a personal computer. ... Apple Inc. ... WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Munster County: Area: 37. ... It has been suggested that Blockbuster drug be merged into this article or section. ... // ... It has been suggested that Candy be merged into this article or section. ... Hughes Brothers Dairy was an ice-cream manufacturer in Ireland until it was purchased by Unilever and added to the Heartbrand. ... A.J. Jacobs is an American journalist and author. ... Cadbury Schweppes plc is a confectionery and beverage company with its headquarters in Berkeley Square, London, United Kingdom. ... Leffe, a Belgian beer, served in branded glasses Schlenkerla Rauchbier straight from the cask Beer is the worlds oldest[1] and most popular[2] alcoholic beverage. ... Guinness logo World War II era advert. ... Smithwicks is a brewery in Kilkenny in Ireland. ... Harp beer mat Harp Lager (Harp Irish Lager since 1997) is a pale lager brand owned by Diageo. ... Glass can be made transparent and flat, or into other shapes and colors as shown in this sphere from the Verrerie of Brehat in Brittany. ... Quartz crystal Synthetic bismuth hopper crystal Insulin crystals Gallium, a metal that easily forms large single crystals A huge monocrystal of potassium dihydrogen phosphate grown from solution by Saint-Gobain for the megajoule laser of CEA. In chemistry and mineralogy, a crystal is a solid in which the constituent atoms... The world-famous Waterford Crystal Ball is lowered in Times Square, New York City, on New Years Eve Waterford Crystal is a trademark brand of crystal glassware produced in Waterford, Ireland, by the company Waterford Wedgwood plc. ... County Waterford (Port Láirge in Irish) is a county in the province of Munster on the south coast of Ireland. ... Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ... Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ: ORCL) is one of the major companies developing database management systems (DBMS), tools for database development, middle-tier software, enterprise resource planning software (ERP), customer relationship management software (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM) software. ... Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... A machine is any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of tasks. ... It has been suggested that Candy be merged into this article or section. ... 2003 is a common year starting on Wednesday of the Gregorian calendar, and also: The International Year of Freshwater The European Disability Year Events January events January 1 Luíz Inácio Lula Da Silva becomes the 37th President of Brazil. ...

Tourist sites such as Newgrange, County Meath are vital to the Irish economy

Newgrange, Ireland. ... Newgrange, Ireland. ... Newgrange, which is located at , is one of the passage tombs of the Brú na Bóinne complex in County Meath, and the most famous of all Irish prehistoric sites. ... Statistics Province: Leinster County Town: Navan Code: MH Area: 2,342 km² Population (2006) 162,621 Website: www. ...

Tertiary sector

The tertiary sector constitutes 49% of Irish GDP and 64% of Irish employment. The tertiary sector is by far the largest driver of modern Irish economic growth — the Celtic Tiger. It is made up of several industries such as accountancy, legal services, call centres and customer service operations, finance and stock broking, catering, and tourism. Many US firms (such as IBM and Apple Computer) located their European customer service operations in Ireland due to the availability of a young, highly educated, English speaking workforce. Recruitment agencies also play a major role in this sector, connecting qualified work candidates to business clients looking to hire in these areas. The Irish tourism industry attracts over five million visitors annually and employs over 100,000. The IFSC in Dublin created some 14,000 jobs in the 1990s, all in the high-value finance and legal sectors. The hospitality and retail sectors are quite large — there are hundreds of domestic and foreign retail firms in Ireland (such as Next and Argos), and most cafe and restaurant firms operate in Ireland such as McDonalds, Starbucks, Burger King and Subway. Cartoon of the Celtic Tiger. ... Accountancy (profession) or accounting (methodology) is the measurement, disclosure or provision of assurance about financial information primarily used by managers, investors, tax authorities and other decision makers to make resource allocation decisions within companies, organizations, and public agencies. ... This article is about law in society. ... A call centre (Commonwealth English) or call center (AmE) is a centralized office of a company that answers incoming telephone calls from customers(often for the purposes of product support) , or that makes outgoing telephone calls to customers (telemarketing). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... A professionally catered event Catering is the business of providing food service at a remote site. ... Tourists on Oahu, Hawaii Tourism is travel for predominantly recreational or leisure purposes or the provision of services to support this leisure travel. ... International Business Machines Corporation (known as IBM or Big Blue; NYSE: IBM) is a multinational computer technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, USA. The company is one of the few information technology companies with a continuous history dating back to the 19th century. ... Apple Inc. ... // The recruitment service industry in Ireland is a flourishing commercial environment built on the strong and constant economic growth Ireland has experienced the last 10-15 years due to the Celtic Tiger, most prominently in Dublin. ... The International Financial Services Centre (IFSC) is a major financial services center in Dublin, Ireland. ... The Spire at night WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: 01, +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... Next on Oxford Street Next PLC is a British clothes retailer, with its headquarters in Enderby, Leicestershire, England. ... Coordinates 37°37′ N 22°43′ E Country Greece Periphery Peloponnese Prefecture Argolis Province Argos Population 29,505 Area 5. ... McDonalds Corporation (NYSE: MCD) is the worlds largest chain of fast-food restaurants [1]. Although McDonalds did not invent the hamburger or fast food, its name has become nearly synonymous with both. ... Starbucks Corporation (NASDAQ: SBUX) is a coffeehouse chain based in the United States. ... Burger King (often abbreviated to BK) is a large international chain of fast food restaurants, predominantly selling burgers, french fries, soft drinks, desserts, and various sandwiches. ... Exterior of a typical Subway restaurant Locations of Subway stores Subway is the name of a multinational restaurant franchise that sells sandwiches and salads. ...

See also: Retail in Ireland, Recruitment in Ireland

In the Republic of Ireland, the retail sector provides an important source of employment and forms the majority of the tertiary sector of the economy. ... // The recruitment service industry in Ireland is a flourishing commercial environment built on the strong and constant economic growth Ireland has experienced the last 10-15 years due to the Celtic Tiger, most prominently in Dublin. ...

State role in the economy

State ownership

At present the Irish Government controls several large and key parts of the economy: The Government (Irish: ) is the cabinet that exercises executive authority in the Republic of Ireland. ...

• Through Córas Iompair Éireann (CIE) it controls most^{[citation needed]} of the bus and all of the railway market. A significant portion^{[citation needed]} of the scheduled land transport services are accounted for through CIE companies.
• Through the Electricity Supply Board (ESB) the government controls much^{[citation needed]} of the electricity generation market, and all of the electricity transmission network.
• Through RTÉ the government control much^{[citation needed]} of the radio and television broadcast sector, although commercial enterprises are gaining market share. The state does not generally use the media it owns to spread propaganda, but it has a large financial and regulatory control of the sector.
• Through An Post, the government has a monopoly of the light mail delivery industry and a large portion^{[citation needed]} of the partially deregulated parcel and express delivery market.

Although the government owns the incumbents in the electricity, mail, broadcasting, land transport and air transport industries, many are wholly or partially open to competition from the private sector. Traditionally large and key sectors of the economy were dominated by government ownership.^{[citation needed]} Some of these industries are currently being reformed and opened to competition however some of them are regarded as being slow to adopt change and reform to work practice — work pay and conditions are often much better than that in the private sector with some having overstaffing or underproductivity which is seen as an impediment to reform.^{[citation needed]} Córas Iompair Éireann[1] (CIÉ) is a statutory authority which is owned by the Irish Government. ... A Go North East bus parked in a lay-by in Tyne and Wear, England. ... The Electricity Supply Board (ESB) (Bord Soláthair an Leictreachais in Irish), sometimes called ESB Ireland to differentiate it from US utilities, is responsible for generating and transmitting most of the electricity in the Republic of Ireland. ... Electricity generation is the first process in the delivery of electricity to consumers. ... Transmission towers Transmission lines in Lund, Sweden Electric power transmission, or more accurately Electrical energy transmission, is the second process in the delivery of electricity to consumers. ... Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ; Irish for Radio and Television of Ireland) is the national publicly-funded broadcaster of Ireland. ... Soviet Propaganda Poster during the World War II. The text reads Red Army Fighter, SAVE US! Chinese propaganda poster from during the Cultural Revolution. ... Finance addresses the ways in which individuals, business entities and other organizations allocate and use monetary resources over time. ... In the context of government and public services regulation (as a process) is the control of something by rules, as opposed to its prohibition. ... The An Post logo An Post (English literal translation: The Post, English official title: The Post Office) is the State-owned provider of postal services in Ireland. ...

The government in 2006 privatised Aer Lingus and is currently considering the privatisation of part of the Electricity Supply Board, but it is somewhat reluctant because of an earlier situation that resulted from the privatisation of Eircom.^{[citation needed]} In that case, hundreds of thousands of small shareholders lost money, private investors took control and established a virtual monopoly, while under-investment led to a slow roll out of broadband infrastructure.^{[citation needed]} Privatization (sometimes privatisation, denationalization, or — especially in India — disinvestment) is the process of transferring property, from public ownership to private ownership. ... Aer Lingus is the national airline of Ireland. ... Privatization (sometimes privatisation, denationalization, or — especially in India — disinvestment) is the process of transferring property, from public ownership to private ownership. ... The Electricity Supply Board (ESB) (Bord Soláthair an Leictreachais in Irish), sometimes called ESB Ireland to differentiate it from US utilities, is responsible for generating and transmitting most of the electricity in the Republic of Ireland. ... eircom Group plc is the largest telecommunications operator in the Republic of Ireland. ... Broadband in telecommunications is a term which refers to a signaling method which includes or handles a relatively wide range of frequencies which may be divided into channels or frequency bins. ...

Taxation

Main article: Taxation in the Republic of Ireland The system of taxation in the Republic of Ireland is broadly similar to the system of taxation in the United Kingdom. ...

The present government (1997–) has favoured a low taxation policy to encourage foreign direct investment in Ireland. Consequently, the government opposes moves by the European Commission to restrict tax competition. (The corporate tax rate is only 12.5%, versus between 15% and 60% in the rest of Europe). The income tax system is designed to redistribute wealth from the richer to the poorer segments of society. There are 2 tax bands, based on income levels. These range from a maximum top rate of 41%, to a maximum bottom rate of 20%. In reality, however, a generous tax credits system ensures that the lower rates of taxation are normally 4% to 12%. The top rate of tax never exceeds 35% in practice. Foreign direct investment (FDI) is defined as a long-term investment by a foreign direct investor in an enterprise resident in an economy other than that in which the foreign direct investor is based. ... The Commission seat in Brussels The European Commission (formally the Commission of the European Communities) is the executive body of the European Union. ... Tax competition is a governmental strategy of attracting foreign direct investment and high value human resources by minimizing the overall taxation level. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ...

The government receives much of its revenues from taxes on goods — these include a 21% VAT rate on most consumer goods, high levels of excise duty on tobacco, petrol, and alcohol and several smaller taxes on items such as plastic bags, cheques, ATM cards, credit cards and debit cards. The taxes in the personal financial sector, as well as the television licence, are often seen as regressive. vat can be a type of barrel used for storage. ... An excise is an indirect tax or duty levied on items within a country. ... Shredded tobacco leaf for pipe smoking Tobacco can also be pressed into plugs and sliced into flakes Tobacco is an agricultural product processed from the fresh leaves of plants in genus Nicotiana. ... Gasoline, as it is known in North America, or petrol, in many Commonwealth countries (sometimes also called motor spirit) is a petroleum-derived liquid mixture consisting primarily of hydrocarbons, used as fuel in internal combustion engines. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Example of a Canadian cheque. ... Outdoor ATMs may be free-standing, like this kiosk, or built into the side of banks or other buildings An automatic teller machine, automated teller machine (ATM) or cash machine is an electronic device that allows a banks customers to make cash withdrawals and check their account balances without... Credit cards A credit card is a system of payment named after the small plastic card issued to users of the system. ... A debit card is a plastic card which provides an alternative payment method to cash when making purchases. ... A television licence (or more correctly broadcast receiver licence, as it usually also pays for public radio) is an official licence required in many countries for all owners of television (and sometimes also radio) receivers. ... Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Economic policy Monetary policy Central bank   Money supply Fiscal policy Spending   Deficit   Debt Trade policy Tariff   Trade agreement Finance Financial market Financial market participants Corporate   Personal Public   Banking   Regulation        A regressive tax is a tax imposed so that the tax...

The welfare state

The Irish government runs a Welfare state system. The government provides free education at all levels for all EU citizens. Free healthcare is not universal, being restricted to the unemployed and very low earners at the General practitioner level. However, hospital care is free to all, although waiting lists and delays characterise the public health service. People who are unemployed receive unemployment benefits and retired people are entitled to a state pension - both benefits are quite high by international comparisons. However, recent changes in the cost of living in Ireland have greatly eroded their relative buying power. Pension payments will increase to €200 (non-contributory) and €209.30 (contributory) per week in 2007.[4] There are three main interpretations of the idea of a welfare state: the provision of welfare services by the state. ... Unemployment benefits are payments made by governments to unemployed people. ... A pension is a steady income given to a person (usually after retirement). ...

Health care

Main article: Health care in Ireland Health care in Ireland is governed by the Health Act 2004, which established a new body to govern the national Health Service in Ireland, the Health Service Executive. ...

All persons resident in the Ireland are entitled to receive health care through the public health care system. A person may be required to pay for certain health care received; this depends on income, age, illness or disability. All child health and maternity services are provided free of charge as is emergency care. The "medical card", which entitles holders to eligibility for free health care, is available to those receiving welfare payments, low earners, all persons aged 70 or over (regardless of income) and those with certain long-term or severe illnesses.^[21] Those on slightly higher incomes are eligible for a "GP Visit Card" which entitles the holder to free general practitioner visits.^[22] As of 2006, 28% of the population are entitled to a medical card and have completely free health care. This is a reduction from 34.5% in 1996.^[23]

People who do not qualify for a medical card, for example high-income earners, must pay for some health care services. In-patient or day services at a hospital costs €60.00 per day up to a maximum of €600.00 per year. Those who do not qualify for the exemptions can also be charged €60.00 for a visit to an accident and emergency department (only once per year) if the patients has not been referred by a family doctor.^[24] In 2002, 48% of Ireland's population had private health insurance.^[25] The majority of those with health insurance are treated privately in public hospitals.^{[citation needed]} The main benefit is avoiding the long waiting lists for major treatment that those without health insurance must endure.^{[citation needed]} Thus Ireland is frequently said to have a "two-tier" health service.^{[citation needed]} Health insurance is a type of insurance whereby the insurer pays the medical costs of the insured if the insured becomes sick due to covered causes, or due to accidents. ...

The health system, despite having billions spent on it in recent years, has some problems. An ongoing issue is the "waiting lists" for those requiring, in some cases, serious operations. 4% of patients on waiting lists have been waiting for their procedures for over 12 months, with another 5% waiting for 6 to 12 months.^[26] A National Treatment Purchase Fund (NTPF) has been set up and over 42,000 patients on waiting lists were treated between 2002 and 2006.^[27]

Education

Main article: Education in Ireland The Republic of Irelands education system is quite similar to that of most other western countries. ...

The education system is comparatively very good with standards in mathematics, science and technology being among the highest in OECD member nations. The state has a virtual monopoly in higher education — there are few private colleges and these are highly specialised. The primary and secondary school enrolment levels are over 95% and at these levels choice is wide. Third level entry is competitive; all college and university tuition fees are free and courses adjusted to the needs of the economy. Irish adult literacy is 99% — in line with other OECD countries. The Republic of Irelands education system is quite similar to that of most other western countries. ... Euclid, Greek mathematician, 3rd century BC, as imagined by by Raphael in this detail from The School of Athens. ... Part of a scientific laboratory at the University of Cologne. ... By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a mastery of technology sufficient to leave the surface of the Earth for the first time and explore space. ... The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD), (in French: Organisation de coopération et de développement économiques, OCDE) is an international organisation of those developed countries that accept the principles of representative democracy and a free market economy. ... A monopoly (from the Greek language monos, one + polein, to sell) is defined as a persistent market situation where there is only one provider of a product or service, in other words a firm that has no competitors in its industry. ... The University of Cambridge is an institute of higher learning. ...

The only recognised universities are Dublin City University, National University of Ireland (with constituent universities at Cork, Dublin, Galway and Maynooth), University of Limerick and University of Dublin. The Institute of Technology system has recently overtaken the universities in terms of first year enrolment numbers and this trend appears to be accelerating. Dublin City University (DCU) is a university situated between Glasnevin and Whitehall on the Northside of Dublin in Ireland. ... The National University of Ireland (NUI) is a federal university system of constituent universities, previously called constituent colleges, and recognised colleges set up under the Irish Universities Act, 1908, and significantly amended by the Universities Act, 1997. ... University College Cork - National University of Ireland, Cork - or more commonly University College Cork (UCC) - is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland and is located in Cork. ... University College Dublin - National University of Ireland, Dublin - more commonly University College Dublin (UCD) - is the Republic of Irelands largest university, with over 20,000 students. ... The National University of Ireland, Galway (NUI, Galway) (Irish Ollscoil na hÉireann, Gaillimh or OÉ, Gaillimh) can trace its existence to 1845 as Queens College, Galway and was known until recently as University College, Galway (UCG) (Irish: Coláiste na hOllscoile, Gaillimh or COG). ... The National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM) was founded in 1997 by the Universities Act, 1997 as a constituent university of the National University of Ireland. ... The University of Limerick (UL) was established in 1972 as the National Institute for Higher Education, Limerick and became a university by statute in 1989 in accordance with the University of Limerick Act 1989. ... The University of Dublin, corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin located in Dublin, Ireland, was founded in 1592 by Queen Elizabeth I, making it Irelands oldest university. ... A Regional Technical College (RTC) (Irish: )is a type of college in Ireland now replaced by an Institute of Technology (IT). ...

Economic ties

United States

In 2003, trade between Ireland and the United States was worth around $33 billion, a $4 billion increase over 2002. U.S. exports to Ireland were valued at $7.7 billion, an increase of almost $1 billion over 2002. Irish exports to the U.S. were worth some $25.7 billion — a 500% increase since 1997. Ireland had a trade surplus of over $15 billion with the U.S. in 2003.^[28] The range of U.S. products imported to Ireland includes electrical components, computers and peripherals, drugs and pharmaceuticals, electrical equipment, and livestock feed. Exports to the United States include alcoholic beverages, chemicals and related products, electronic data processing equipment, electrical machinery, textiles and clothing, and glassware. This article or section does not adequately cite its references or sources. ... Lightning strikes during a night-time thunderstorm. ... The tower of a personal computer. ... A peripheral is a type of computer hardware that is added to a host computer in order to expand its abilities. ... Pharmacology (in Greek: pharmakos (φάρμακον) meaning drug, and logos (λόγος) meaning science) is the study of how substances interact with living organisms to produce a change in function. ... Sheep are commonly bred as livestock. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... Chemical tanks in Lillebonne, France Chemical industry includes those industries involved in the production of petrochemicals, agrochemicals, pharmaceuticals, polymers, paints, oleochemicals etc. ... Electronics is the study of the flow of charge through various materials and devices such as, semiconductors, resistors, inductors, capacitors, nano-structures, and vacuum tubes. ... Data processing is any computer process that converts data into information or knowledge. ... A machine is any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of tasks. ... This article is about the type of fabric. ... Clothing protects the vulnerable nude human body from the extremes of weather, other features of our environment, and for safety reasons. ... Glass can be made transparent and flat, or into other shapes and colors as shown in this sphere from the Verrerie of Brehat in Brittany. ...

U.S. foreign direct investment in Ireland has been particularly important to the growth and modernization of Irish industry since 1980, providing new technology, export capabilities, and employment opportunities. The major U.S. investments in Ireland to date have included multi-billion dollar investments by Intel, Dell, Microsoft, IBM and Abbott Laboratories. Currently, there are more than 600 U.S. subsidiaries operating in Ireland, employing in excess of 100,000 people and spanning activities from manufacturing of high-tech electronics, computer products, medical supplies, and pharmaceuticals to retailing, banking and finance, and other services. Many U.S. businesses find Ireland an attractive location to manufacture for the EU market, since as a member of the EU it has tariff free access to the European Common Market. Government policies are generally formulated to facilitate trade and inward direct investment. The availability of an educated, well-trained, English-speaking work force and relatively moderate wage costs have been important factors. Ireland offers good long-term growth prospects for U.S. companies under an innovative financial incentive programme, including capital grants and favourable tax treatment, such as a low corporation income tax rate for manufacturing firms and certain financial services firms. Foreign direct investment (FDI) is defined as a long-term investment by a foreign direct investor in an enterprise resident in an economy other than that in which the foreign direct investor is based. ... By the mid 20th century humans had achieved a mastery of technology sufficient to leave the surface of the Earth for the first time and explore space. ... For the album by the Kaiser Chiefs see Employment (album) Employment is a contract between two parties, one being the employer and the other being the employee. ... Intel Corporation (NASDAQ: INTC, SEHK: 4335), founded in 1968 as Integrated Electronics Corporation, is an American multinational corporation that is best known for designing and manufacturing microprocessors and specialized integrated circuits. ... Dell Inc. ... Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... International Business Machines Corporation (known as IBM or Big Blue; NYSE: IBM) is a multinational computer technology and consulting corporation headquartered in Armonk, New York, USA. The company is one of the few information technology companies with a continuous history dating back to the 19th century. ... Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) is a diversified pharmaceuticals and health care company. ... See drugs, medication, and pharmacology for substances that are used to treat patients. ... A drawing of a self-service store Retailing consists of the sale of goods/merchandise for personal or household consumption either from a fixed location such as a department store or kiosk, or away from a fixed location and related subordinated services (Definition of the WTO (last page). ... For other uses, see Bank (disambiguation). ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ... The English language is a West Germanic language that originates in England. ... Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Economic policy Monetary policy Central bank   Money supply Fiscal policy Spending   Deficit   Debt Trade policy Tariff   Trade agreement Finance Financial market Financial market participants Corporate   Personal Public   Banking   Regulation        A tax is a financial charge or other levy imposed on... Corporate redirects here. ... Tax rates around the world Tax revenue as % of GDP Economic policy Monetary policy Central bank   Money supply Fiscal policy Spending   Deficit   Debt Trade policy Tariff   Trade agreement Finance Financial market Financial market participants Corporate   Personal Public   Banking   Regulation        An income tax is a tax levied on the financial income... Manufacturing (from Latin manu factura, making by hand) is the use of tools and labor to make things for use or sale. ...

Once a beneficiary of the EU — particularly of CAP grant — Ireland is now a net contributor to the EU

Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... Image File history File links No higher resolution available. ... The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies and programmes. ...

European Union

Although the USA is the single most important economic partner, it lags by far the EU as a whole which accounts for 63.3% of Ireland's exports (US 18.7%) and 57.4% of her imports (US 14.1%). (data for 2005)^[29].

Ireland has grown much closer to Europe in recent years — particularly since it joined the European Union (EU) in 1973. It is also part of the EMU and thus has the euro as its currency. Many US companies have located their European headquarters in Ireland and this has led to increased Irish-European ties. Ireland regularly comes near the top in polls of the most enthusiastic Europeans^[30] and spent some €60m during its presidency of the EU. The EU now accounts for the bulk of Irish trade, with the United Kingdom being the largest trading partner. Ireland's main exports to Europe are beef, computers (Dell, HP, EMC, and Apple Computer all have manufacturing facilities in Ireland) and software (Oracle and Microsoft have their European Headquarters in Ireland). Ireland's major imports from Europe include cars, machinery, trucks, steel, oil and consumer goods. A major economic bonus Ireland has received from EU membership has been agricultural subsidies from the CAP and large amounts of EU investment in Irish road infrastructure. Since the acceptance of the 10 new Eastern European nations in 2004, Ireland's ties with Europe further increased. Since the accession event in 2004, several hundred thousand workers from countries such as Latvia, Poland and Estonia, no longer requiring work permits, came to live and work in Ireland.

World map showing the location of Europe. ... In economics, a monetary union is a situation where several countries have agreed to share a single currency among them. ... “EUR” redirects here. ... For other uses, see Beef (disambiguation). ... The tower of a personal computer. ... Dell Inc. ... The Hewlett-Packard Company (NYSE: HPQ), commonly known as HP, is a very large, global company headquartered in Palo Alto, California, United States. ... EMC Corporation (NYSE: EMC) is an American manufacturer of software and systems for information management and storage. ... Apple Inc. ... Computer software (or simply software) refers to one or more computer programs and data held in the storage of a computer for some purpose. ... Oracle Corporation (NASDAQ: ORCL) is one of the major companies developing database management systems (DBMS), tools for database development, middle-tier software, enterprise resource planning software (ERP), customer relationship management software (CRM) and supply chain management (SCM) software. ... Microsoft Corporation, (NASDAQ: MSFT, HKSE: 4338) is a multinational computer technology corporation with global annual revenue of US$44. ... Karl Benzs Velo model (1894) - entered into the first automobile race An automobile or motor car (usually shortened to just car) is a wheeled passenger vehicle that carries its own motor. ... A machine is any mechanical or electrical device that transmits or modifies energy to perform or assist in the performance of tasks. ... The driver of this DAF tractor with an auto-transport semi-trailer truck prepares to offload Å koda Octavia cars in Cardiff, Wales For other articles with similar names, see Lorry (disambiguation) and truck (disambiguation). ... The steel cable of a colliery winding tower. ... The Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) is a system of European Union agricultural subsidies and programmes. ...

Wealth distribution

Disposable income per person as a percentage of the national average.

Like many Western democracies wealth is partially redistributed among the poorer segments of society through the progressive tax system. However, large disparities in wealth still exist between the employed and those dependent on welfare payments. The percentage of the population at risk of relative poverty was 21% in 2004 - one of the highest rates in the European Union.^[31] Levels of wealth higher than the national average are concentrated among people living in the central eastern region and in Dublin. Despite this, there are many areas in Dublin marked by poverty, particularly in the inner city. The poorest members of society are those entirely dependent on welfare payments. Ireland's inequality of income distribution score on the Gini coefficient scale was 30.4 in 2000, slightly below the OECD average of 31.^[32] Ireland's 2000 score was less than 9 of the OECD member states but higher than 13 members. On this measure Ireland is only a moderately unequal society. Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... Wikipedia does not have an article with this exact name. ... A progressive tax is a tax imposed so that the tax rate increases as the amount to which the rate is applied increases. ... Relative poverty is a poverty measure based on a poor standard of living or a low income relative to the rest of society. ... The Spire at night WGS-84 (GPS) Coordinates: , Statistics Province: Leinster County: Dáil Éireann: Dublin Central, Dublin North Central, Dublin North East, Dublin North West, Dublin South Central, Dublin South East European Parliament: Dublin Dialling Code: 01, +353 1 Postal District(s): D1-24, D6W Area: 114. ... The term inner-city is often applied to the poorer parts at the centre of a major city. ... Graphical representation of the Gini coefficient The Gini coefficient is a measure of inequality of a distribution. ...

The national minimum wage is €8.30 per hour for full time staff over the age of 18 — this is quite high by historic levels. However, this wage is above the threshold for free healthcare assuming that the individual is single, has no children and works full-time. The minimum wage will be increased at the beginning of 2007 to €8.35 per hour and to €8.65 per hour in July 2007. From 2007, someone working 39 hours per week at this rate will be exempt from income tax, as income below €17,600 per year will not be taxed. Unemployment benefit (the dole) and Jobseeker's Allowance for a single person in Ireland will be €181.80 per week, as of January 2007.^[33] This compares to £57.45 (€83.10) per week for a single person aged 25 or over in the UK.^[34] The minimum wage is the minimum rate a worker can legally be paid (usually per hour) as opposed to wages that are determined by the forces of supply and demand in a free market. ... Unemployment benefits are payments made by governments to unemployed people. ...

Ireland is very different from most other countries in the European Union (with the exception of the UK, Greece and Hungary) in that rates of home ownership are quite high. In particular house ownership (at approximately 80%) is the norm. This contrasts with most of Continental Europe, where renting is the norm. Social housing schemes do exist but the government has not invested adequately in these schemes in recent years, despite expenditure of €8.5 billion and the provision of over 34,000 social housing units between 2000 and 2005. Average rents for 2 bedroom apartments in Dublin range from €1,069.00 to €1,269.00 per four-week period.^[35] A single person living in shared accommodation can receive up to €98.00 per week (€392.00 every 4 weeks) in rent supplement.^[36] Therefore house sharing in rented accommodation is quite common in Ireland among single people receiving welfare payments and single people on low pay. An owner-occupier is a person who lives in a house that he or she owns. ... A house in Pathanapuram, Kerala (India). ... Continental Europe, also referred to as mainland Europe or simply the Continent, is the continent of Europe, explicitly excluding European islands and, at times, peninsulas. ... It has been suggested that this article or section be merged with rental agreement. ... Public housing describes a form of housing tenure in which the property is owned by a government authority, which may be central or local. ...

See also

• Central Bank of Ireland
• Central Statistics Office
• Companies Registration Office
• Economy of Europe
• Economy of Northern Ireland
• IDA Ireland
• International Financial Services Centre
• Irish Property Bubble
• Irish Stock Exchange
• Recruitment in Ireland
• Irish topics
• List of Irish companies
• Ireland corporation tax
• Commemorative coins of Ireland

Banc Ceannais na hÉireann or the Central Bank of Ireland is the Republic of Ireland which had control of the issue of Irish banknotes and coins. ... The Central Statistics Office is the statistical agency responsible for Irelands census and other state data collection activities. ... The Companies Registration Office (CRO) (Irish: An Oifig um Chlárú Cuideachtaí) registers and incorporates companies in the Republic of Ireland as well as filing their annual returns. ... The economy of Europe comprises more than 710 million people in 48 different states. ... Livestock is one of the major industries in Northern Ireland. ... IDA Ireland is the agency responsible for industrial development in Ireland. ... Famine sculpture in front of the International Financial Services Centre, Dublin. ... The property market in the Republic of Ireland in 2007 is controversially described by some as the Irish Property Bubble. ... The Irish Stock Exchange (ISE) is Irelands stock exchange and can trace its history to 1793. ... // The recruitment service industry in Ireland is a flourishing commercial environment built on the strong and constant economic growth Ireland has experienced the last 10-15 years due to the Celtic Tiger, most prominently in Dublin. ... Shortcut: Irish topics This page aims to list articles on Wikipedia that are related to Ireland. ... The following page lists Irish companies or subsidiaries according to their sector. ... The commemorative coins of Ireland are minted by the Central Bank of Ireland. ...

References