Economy overview: Ireland has a small, modern, trade-integrated economy with a sustained average annual economic growth rate of 9% from 1995-2000. Agriculture, once the most significant sector of the economy, is now being marginalized by industry, which accounts for 39% of GDP and about 80% of exports and employs 28% of the workforce. While exports remain the main driver of economic growth, Ireland’s economy is also benefiting from rising domestic consumption, a booming construction industry and increased investment inflows. In the past decade, the Irish government has implemented a number of public economic programs aimed at curbing inflation, reducing government spending and stimulating foreign investment. Ireland in January 1999 joined the single European currency system. The Irish economy is at risk of overheating as a narrow labor market leads to higher wage requirements and inflation. See cheeroutdoor.com to know more about Ireland Business. GDP: at purchasing power parity – $81.9 billion (2000 est.). Real GDP growth rate: 9.9% (2000 est.). GDP per capita: Purchasing Power Parity $21,600 (2000 est.) The composition of GDP by sectors of the economy: agriculture: 4%; industry: 38%; service industry: 58% (1999). Proportion of population below the poverty line: 10% (1997 est.). Percentage distribution of household income or consumption: per 10% of the poorest families: 2%; by the top 10% of families: 27.3% (1997). Inflation rate at consumer prices: 5.6% (2000). Labor force: 1.82 million people (2000 est.). Employment structure: services 64%, industry 28%, agriculture 8% (2000 est.). Unemployment rate: 4.1% (2000). Budget: revenues: $25.7 billion; expenses: $19.2 billion, including capital investments – $2 billion (2000). Spheres of economy: production of food products, brewing, production of fabrics, clothing, chemicals, medicines, mechanical engineering, production of transport equipment, glass and crystal; software release. Growth in industrial production: 14% (2000 est.). Electricity generation: 19.542 billion kWh (1999) Sources of electricity generation: fossil fuels: 94.42%; hydropower: 4.23%; nuclear fuel: 0%; others: 1.35% (1999). Electricity consumption: 18.414 billion kWh (1999) Electricity export: 50 million kWh (1999). Electricity import: 290 million kWh (1999). Agricultural products: turnip, barley, potatoes, sugar beet, wheat; beef, dairy products. Exports: $73.5 billion (free on board, 2000 est.) Export items: machinery and equipment, computers, chemicals, medicines; animals, livestock products. Export partners: EU 59% (UK 19%, Germany 9%, France 7%), US 20% (2000). Imports: $45.7 billion (free on board, 2000 est.) Import articles: information processing equipment, other machinery and equipment, chemicals; oil and oil products, fabrics, clothes. Import partners: EU 54% (UK 29%, Germany 6%, France 5%), US 18%, Japan 5%, Singapore 4% (2000). External debt: $11 billion (1998) Economic aid donor: official development support – $245 million (2000). Currency: Irish pound, euro; note: on January 1, 1999, the EU introduced a single currency, which is used by financial institutions in some EU member states at a fixed rate of 0.787564 Irish pounds per euro; from 2002 the euro will be used in all financial transactions. Currency code: IEP; EUR. Exchange rate: IEP/USD – 1.0658 (January 2001), 1.0823 (2000), 0.9374 (1999), 0.7014 (1998), 0.6588 (1997), 0.6248 (1996). Fiscal year: calendar year.
Telecommunications
Telecommunications Telephone lines: 1.59 million (2001). Mobile cell phones: 2 million (2001). Telephone system: modern digital system using cable and microwave radio relay; internal: microwave radio relay; international: satellite earth stations – 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean). Broadcast stations: AM – 9, FM – 106, shortwave – 0 (1998). Radio receivers: 2.55 million (1997) Television broadcast stations: 4 (many low power repeaters) (2001). Televisions: 1.82 million (2001) Internet country code: ie Internet service providers: 22 (2000). Number of users: 1 million (2000).
Transport
Transport Railways: total: 1,947 km; broad gauge: 1,947 km (1,600 m gauge) (38 km electrified; 485 km double track) (1998). Roads: total: 92,500 km; paved: 87,043 km (including 115 km of expressways); unpaved: 5,457 km (1999 est.) Waterways: 700 km (limited use for commercial traffic) (1998). Pipelines: for natural gas – 7,592 km (transport – 1,158 km; distribution network – 6,434 km) (2000). Ports and harbours: Arklow, Galway, Drozda, Dublin, Cork, Limerick, New Ross, Waterford, Foynes. Merchant navy: total: 29 vessels (displacement 1,000 tons or more) with a total displacement of 115,554 gross register tons / 135,391 long tons of gross tonnage; vessels of different types: dry cargo ships – 4, cargo ships – 22, container ships – 2, coastal passenger ships – 1 (2000 est.). Airports: 44 (2000 est.). Airports with paved runways: total: 17; over 3,047 m: 1; from 2438 to 3047 m:1; from 1524 to 2437 m:3; from 914 to 1523 m:5; less than 914 m: 7 (2000 est.). Airports with unpaved runways: total: 27; from 914 to 1523 m:2; less than 914 m: 25 (2000 est.).
Armed forces
Branches of the Armed Forces: Army (including Navy and Air Force units), National Police (Garda Siochana). Enlistment age: 17 years old. Total Military Manpower: Male 15 to 49: 1,004,469 (2001 est.). Eligible for military service: men aged 15 to 49: 809,808 (2001 est.). Number of persons reaching military age each year: male: 32,287 (2001 est.). Military spending in dollar terms: $738 million (2001 est.) Military spending as part of GDP: 0.75% (2001 est.)
International Issues
International Issues International Disputes: Northern Ireland issue resolved jointly with Britain (historic peace deal signed 10 April 1998); dispute over the continental shelf of the Faroe Islands outside the two hundred mile zone with Denmark, Iceland and the UK. Illicit Drugs: User of North African hashish and European-produced synthetic drugs, transit point for transit to the UK and the Netherlands; a secondary transit point on the route of heroin and cocaine imported into Western Europe.
