Category: FDI and EU Base Offering

Political Stability Ireland enjoys very significant political stability. The major political parties, which enjoy the support of over 75% of the electorate are very firmly committed to promoting business and a free market economy. Changes of government in Ireland do not lead to significant changes in the tax legal regulatory employment and trading environment. Ireland […]

The best of both worlds Any type of Brexit will reset the terms of trade between the UK and the European Union. It will cause some types of UK to EU trade and some types of EU to UK trade to cease to be viable. Every business knows the value of goodwill and its client […]

Ireland has and will retain post-Brexit, tariff-free and customs procedures free access to the European Union market. In the event of a no deal Brexit country tariffs will apply on all exports from the United Kingdom to the EU. In the event of a Brexit with a trade agreement, it is likely that most goods […]

Will Survive Brexit The Common Travel Area applies as between the United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man. It reflects the fact that the Republic of Ireland formerly comprised part of the United Kingdom. Even after Ireland declared itself a republic in 1949, UK law specifically enacted that […]

Common Legal Heritage and Laws Ireland shares a very close common legal heritage with England and Wales and Northern Ireland. Ireland uses the common law system which provides the basic rules of law in many areas relevant to trade and doing business. Irish common law is almost identical to that in the United Kingdom. Accordingly […]

Corporate Profits Tax Ireland is firmly committed to maintaining its corporation tax rate of 12.5%. This rate has applied for over 20 years and was negotiated with the European Union in the context of the phasing out of earlier tax reliefs. Tax policy is a competence of the EU states. Ireland and several other EU […]

Shared History and Institutions The United Kingdom originated as the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland in 1801. Until 1922 what is now the Republic of Ireland was an integral part of the United Kingdom. Ireland is not a foreign country for the purposes of UK law. The UK has an equivalent status under […]

Connections and Access Ireland is readily accessible from any part of the United Kingdom. There are hundreds of daily flights as well as several ferry crossings. Ireland is served by international airports in Dublin Cork Shannon and Mayo as well as a number of smaller regional airports. The Dublin London Heathrow route alone is busiest […]

An Established European Hub Ireland has a proven track record as a successful location for multinational companies from around the world. Ireland is home to world-leading, established companies and also to high growth companies that will shape the economy of the future. IBM’s Global Location Trends ranks Ireland 1st for attracting high-value FDI projects. There […]

Connectivity Ireland has extensive transport links to Europe and the rest of the world. Over 400 flights a week leave from Dublin, Cork and Shannon to London US Pre-Clearance facilities at Dublin Airport and Shannon Airport are the only ones of their kind in Europe New connections in 2019 include direct flights from Dublin to […]

Key Developments A significant number of new office construction projects are underway There is excellent rental value in regional locations outside Dublin. Flexible workplace offerings are growing in prominence. 26 office schemes of more than 350,000 sq. m. were under construction in Dublin city centre at the end of Q3 2018. 29,000 sq.m. of new […]

Investment in Infrastructure Ireland will invest €116 billion in public infrastructure and capital works under the National Development Plan 2018-2027. Public capital investment in Ireland will move from relatively low levels following the global economic downturn to being among the highest in the EU. The Plan focuses on ten strategic investment priorities including enterprise, skills […]

Key Facts Ireland is the 3rd most competitive economy in the Eurozone and the 5th most competitive in the EU. Maintaining and improving competitiveness as the economy grows is a key Government priority. The cost of living in regional locations in Ireland compares exceptionally well to other competing cities, while Dublin ranks among the top […]

The Irish Economy Ireland is a stable, competitive, secure and pro-business country. The Irish economy is the fastest growing in the Eurozone. The Irish Government is committed to sustainable management of public finances and Ireland receives an ‘A’ grade from all major credit rating agencies. Ireland is a committed member of the EU Single Market […]

Property A significant number of new office construction projects are underway Key Developments There is excellent rental value in regional locations outside Dublin. Flexible workplace offerings are growing in prominence. 26 office schemes of more than 350,000 sq. m. were under construction in Dublin city centre at the end of Q3 2018. 29,000 sq.m. of […]

A young, well-educated and productive workforce Ireland’s young workforce is capable, highly adaptable, educated and committed to achievement. Ireland has the youngest population in Europe with a third of the population under 25 years old. The population is forecast to increase by almost one million people to 5.75 million by 2040. Labour Pool Companies operating in […]

Investment in Infrastructure Ireland will invest €116 billion in public infrastructure and capital works under the National Development Plan 2018-2027 Telecommunications Ireland has one of the most advanced and competitive telecommunications infrastructures in Europe. The telecommunications market is fully deregulated and numerous companies have entered the market. Large investments in recent years have resulted in […]

Education Level There are over one million people currently in full-time education in Ireland. These are engaged in three levels of education: primary education (up to 12 years); secondary education (12-18 years); and third-level education (18+ years). Ireland has one of the most educated workforces in the world. The share of 30-34 year olds in Ireland […]