This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 12 DUBLIN 000047 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EB/IFD/OIA 
PASS TO USTR 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: EINV EFIN ETRD ELAB KTDB PGOV
SUBJECT: IRELAND - 2005 INVESTMENT CLIMATE STATEMENT 
 
REF: 04 STATE 250356 
 
A1. OPENNESS TO FOREIGN INVESTMENT 
---------------------------------- 
 
IRISH GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE TOWARDS FOREIGN INVESTMENT 
 
¶1.   Over the past twenty years, Irish governments have 
actively promoted foreign direct investment (FDI), a strategy 
that has helped Ireland to achieve unprecedented economic 
growth during this "Celtic Tiger" period.  FDI flows into 
Ireland increased from an annual average of USD 140 million 
in the mid-1980s to USD 2.7 billion per year in the second 
half of the 1990s, yielding a total FDI stock of USD 223 
billion by 2003.  Traditionally, the principal goal of 
investment promotion has been employment creation, especially 
in technology-intensive and high-skill industries.  In recent 
years, the Irish government has also sought to assist 
established foreign companies to sustain their international 
competitiveness through R&D enhancements and the 
marketing/sales of higher-value goods and services. 
 
¶2.  The Irish Government's efforts have had particular 
success in attracting U.S. foreign investment.  According to 
the American Chamber of Commerce, Ireland, with one percent 
of the EU's population, attracted twenty-five percent of all 
new U.S. investment in the EU over the last decade.  In 2003, 
U.S. investment flow into Ireland was roughly USD 9.1 
billion, two-and-a-half times the amount of U.S. investment 
flow into China.  There are about 580 U.S. firms in Ireland, 
employing over 90,000 workers, primarily in the following 
sectors: chemicals; bio-pharmaceuticals and healthcare; 
computer hardware and software; electronics; and, financial 
services.  In the bio-pharmaceutical and computer sectors, 
U.S. firms operate some of the world's most advanced 
manufacturing and research facilities.  For example, 
Ireland's flagship FDI project in 2004 was the Intel Fab 24 
plant, which will produce the company's next generation of 
microchips. 
 
¶3.  The American Chamber of Commerce reports that U.S. 
companies are attracted to Ireland for the following reasons: 
access to the EU market; a 12.5 percent rate of corporation 
tax; the quality and flexibility of the English-speaking 
workforce (of all OECD countries, only the Japanese workforce 
has a higher proportion of trained engineers and scientists); 
and, the pulling power of existing   companies operating 
successfully in Ireland (a "bandwagon" effect). 
 
¶4.  Factors that may negatively affect Ireland's ability to 
attract foreign direct investment include: increasing costs 
of skilled and unskilled labor (especially when compared to 
low-cost countries such as China and India), inadequate 
infrastructure (particularly in the transportation, 
internet/broadband, energy and social services sectors), and 
rising domestic costs due to euro appreciation and inflation 
rates that have consistently exceeded the EU average. 
Nonetheless, the attractive corporate tax regime, the 
pro-business policy environment, and the access to the single 
European market should ensure continued relatively high 
levels of foreign investment in Ireland into the medium-term. 
 
¶5.  Four state organizations promote inward investment into 
Ireland by foreign companies: 
 
-   The Industrial Development Agency of Ireland (IDA 
Ireland) has overall responsibility for promoting and 
facilitating foreign direct investment in all areas of the 
country, except the Shannon Free Zone.  IDA Ireland also has 
responsibility for attracting foreign companies to   Dublin's 
International Financial Services Center (IFSC).  IDA Ireland 
maintains offices in New York, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles, 
San Jose, and Atlanta, as well as at locations in Europe and 
Asia; 
 
-   Enterprise Ireland promotes joint ventures and strategic 
alliances between indigenous and foreign companies; 
 
-   Shannon Free Airport Development Co. (SFADCO) handles 
investment in the Shannon Free Zone and is generally 
responsible for economic development in the Shannon region. 
The Irish Government is considering a proposal from the 
Enterprise Strategy Group, a quasi-official body focusing on 
national competitiveness, to fold SFADCO into IDA; 
 
-   Udaras na Gaeltachta has responsibility for economic 
development in those areas of Ireland where Irish (Gaelic) is 
the predominant language, and works with IDA Ireland to 
promote overseas investment in these regions. 
 
¶6.  Major Laws/Rules/Taxation Policy 
Ireland's judicial system is transparent and upholds the 
sanctity of contracts as well as laws affecting foreign 
investment.  These laws include: 
 
-  The Industrial Development Act of 1993 outlines the 
functions of IDA Ireland, the state agency responsible for 
attracting overseas investment to Ireland; 
 
-  The Mergers, Takeovers and Monopolies Control Act of 1978 
sets out rules governing mergers and takeovers by foreign and 
domestic companies; the Competition (Amendment) Act of 1996 
amends and extends the Competition Act of 1991 and the 
Mergers and Takeovers (Control) Acts of 1978 and 1987, and 
sets out the rules governing competitive behavior; 
 
-  The Companies Act of 1963 contains the basic requirements 
for incorporation in Ireland (amended in 1990); and, 
 
-  The 2004 Finance Act, which introduced tax incentives to 
encourage firms to set up headquarters in Ireland and to 
conduct research and development. 
 
In addition, there are numerous laws and regulations 
pertaining to employment, social security, environmental 
protection and taxation, with many of these determined at the 
EU level. 
 
¶7.  One of Ireland's most obvious attractions as a location 
for international investment is the low rate of corporate 
tax.  Since January 1, 2003, the corporate tax rate for both 
foreign and domestic firms has been 12.5 percent.  Existing 
foreign firms will retain their entitlement to the "old" 10 
percent rate until 2010 in the case of manufacturing and 
certain internationally traded services.  Ireland's corporate 
tax rate is among the lowest in the EU, and the Irish 
Government has resolutely resisted efforts to harmonize taxes 
at a single EU rate. 
 
¶8.  All firms incorporated in Ireland are treated on an equal 
basis.  With only a few exceptions, there are no constraints 
preventing foreign individuals or entities from ownership or 
participation in private firms/corporations.  The most 
significant of these exceptions is that, as with other EU 
countries, Irish airlines must be at least 50 percent-owned 
by EU residents in order to have full access to the single 
European aviation market.  There are also requirements 
related to the purchase of agriculture lands (see below). 
There is no formal screening process for foreign investment 
in Ireland, though investors looking to receive Government 
grants or assistance through one of the four state agencies 
responsible for promoting foreign investment in Ireland are 
often required to meet certain employment and investment 
criteria (see section "D" below). 
 
¶9.  While Ireland does not have a formal privatization 
program, there is likely to be at least partial privatization 
of some state-owned companies in the aviation and energy 
sectors over the coming years.  There are no barriers to 
participation by foreign institutions in the sale of Irish 
state-owned companies.  Residents of Ireland, however, may be 
given priority access in share allocations to retail 
investors, as was the case with the state-owned 
telecommunications company, Eircom, privatized in 1998. 
 
¶10.  Citizens of countries other than Ireland and other EU 
member states can acquire land for private residential 
purposes and for industrial purposes.  Under Section 45 of 
the Land Act, 1965, all non-EU nationals must get the written 
consent of the Land Commission before acquiring an interest 
in agricultural land, though there are many stud farms and 
racing facilities in Ireland that are owned by foreign 
nationals.  There are no restrictions on the acquisition of 
urban land. 
 
¶11.  IDA Ireland assesses potential investment projects for 
eligibility for grant aid.  Grant aid is largely tied to job 
creation and linkages with the local economy.  Screening 
mechanisms for grant aid purposes are transparent and do not 
impede investment, limit competition, or protect domestic 
interests.  Potential investors are also required to examine 
the environmental impact of the proposed project and to meet 
with Irish Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) officials. 
 
¶12.  While investors are free, subject to planning 
considerations, to choose the location of their investment, 
IDA Ireland has since the late 1990s differentiated grant aid 
levels in favor of regions outside Dublin.  This linkage is 
consistent with the National Spatial Strategy, which was 
adopted in 2001 with the aim of spreading investment more 
evenly around the country.  One of the strategy's stated 
goals was to direct 50 percent of all new jobs related to 
greenfield investment to the border, midlands, and western 
(BMW) counties of Ireland, where the economy is less 
developed.  In 1999, roughly 25 percent of jobs related to 
greenfield investment were located in the BMW region; by 
2003, this figure had grown to 46 percent.  To encourage 
client firms to locate outside Dublin, IDA Ireland has 
developed "magnets of attraction," including: a Cross Border 
Business Park linking Letterkenny and Derry, a regional Data 
Center in Limerick, and the National Microelectronics 
Research Center in Cork. 
 
A.2. Conversion and Transfer Policies 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶13.  Ireland enjoys full current and capital account 
liberalization.   There are no restrictions or reported 
significant delays in the conversion or repatriation of 
investment capital, earnings, interest, or royalties, nor are 
there any plans to change remittance policies.  Likewise, 
there are no limitations on the import of capital into 
Ireland.  Foreign exchange is easily obtainable at market 
rates.  In 2004, the Irish Financial Services Regulatory 
Authority (IFSRA) reported that the Allied Irish Bank (AIB) 
had knowingly overcharged on foreign exchange transactions 
for several years.  AIB has repaid the overcharged amount and 
begun an internal disciplinary process.  The euro is 
Ireland's national currency. 
 
A.3. Expropriation and Compensation 
----------------------------------- 
 
¶14.  Private property is expropriated only for public 
purposes in a non-discriminatory manner and in accordance 
with established principles of international law.  State 
condemnations of private property are carried out in 
accordance with recognized principles of due process.  Where 
there are disputes between owners of private property subject 
to a government taking, the Irish courts provide a system of 
judicial review and appeal.  In 2004, there were no reported 
expropriatory actions involving the property/facilities of 
U.S. investors. 
 
A.4. Dispute Settlement 
----------------------- 
 
¶15.  Ireland has no specific domestic laws governing 
investment disputes with foreign firms.  There is, however, a 
legal arbitration framework available to parties that opt to 
arbitrate a dispute, including investment disputes, rather 
than litigate the case.  Although there are no disputes over 
current U.S. investments in Ireland, U.S. firms in recent 
years have occasionally called into question the transparency 
of government tenders, some of which have been won by U.S. 
companies. 
 
¶16.  The Irish legal system is based on common law, 
legislation and the constitution.  The Companies Act 1963 
(amended 1990) is the most important body of law dealing with 
commercial and bankruptcy law and is consistently applied by 
the courts.  Irish bankruptcy laws give creditors a strong 
degree of protection.  The Department of Enterprise, Trade 
and Employment is the state agency with primary 
responsibility for drafting and enforcing company law.  The 
judiciary is independent and litigants are entitled to trial 
by jury in commercial disputes.  Ireland is a member of the 
International Center for the Settlement of Investment 
Disputes, and the Irish Government has been willing to agree 
to binding international arbitration of investment disputes 
between foreign investors and the state.  Ireland is also a 
party to the New York Convention of 1958 on the Recognition 
and Enforcement of Foreign Arbitral Awards.  There is no 
specific domestic body for handling investment disputes. 
 
A.5. Performance Requirements/Incentives 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶17.  The Irish Government does not maintain any measures that 
it has notified the WTO to be inconsistent with Trade-Related 
Investment Measures (TRIMs) requirements.  Moreover, there 
have been no allegations that the Government maintains 
measures that violate the WTO's TRIMs text. 
 
¶18.  Three Irish organizations, SFADCO, IDA Ireland, and 
Udaras, have regulatory authority for administering grant aid 
to investors for capital equipment, land, buildings, 
training, research and development, etc.  Business 
enterprises in Ireland, including overseas companies, which 
seek grant aid from these organizations must submit 
investment proposals.  Typically, these proposals include 
information on fixed assets (capital), labor, and 
technology/R&D components and establish targets using 
criteria such as sales, profitability, exports, and 
employment.  This information is treated in confidence by the 
organizations, and each investment proposal is subject to an 
economic appraisal prior to approval for support. 
 
¶19.  Performance requirements are generally based on 
employment creation targets established between the state 
investment agencies and foreign investors.  Grant aid is paid 
out only after externally audited performance targets have 
been attained.  Generally, parent companies must guarantee 
repayment of the government grant if the company closes 
before an agreed period of time elapses, normally ten years 
after the grant has been paid.  Grant agreements generally 
have a term of five years after the date on which the last 
grant is paid.  There are no requirements that foreign 
investors purchase from local sources or allow nationals to 
own shares. 
¶20.   As a result of "Agenda 2000" EU budgetary reforms, 
since 2000 Ireland has been treated as two regions for the 
purpose of EU structural funding and maximum "regional aid." 
Under the new rules, maximum grant aid assistance (40 percent 
of capital investment) is only available to companies 
locating in the 13 "Objective 1" border, midland and western 
(BMW) counties of Ireland, where infrastructure is less 
developed.  Companies locating in the remaining 15 counties 
in the more prosperous south and east are entitled to 
restricted grant aid up to a maximum of 17.5 percent to 20 
percent of their capital investment, depending on location. 
For the period 2004-2006, the following ceilings apply: 
 
Transition Regions            Percent of Capital Investment 
 
-- Southeast                             20 
-- Mid-West                              20 
-- Southwest                             20 
-- Mid-East                              18 
-- Dublin                                17.5 
 
Objective 1 Region 
-- Border, Midlands, West                40 
 
The current Regional Aid Guidelines (RAGs) will cease to 
operate at the end of 2006, and the EU Commission is now 
developing new RAGs for the period 2007-2013.  It is expected 
that these new rates will be lower than the current rates. 
 
¶21.   There are no restrictions, de jure or de facto, on 
participation by foreign firms in government-financed and/or 
subsidized research and development programs on a national 
basis.  On the contrary, the government encourages 
multinational companies to undertake more research and 
development in Ireland.  Science Foundation Ireland (SFI), 
the State Science Agency, is responsible for administering a 
euro 365 million R&D fund under the 2000-2006 National 
Development Plan.  The fund targets leading researchers in 
Ireland and overseas to promote within Ireland the 
development of information/communications technology and 
biotechnology, as well as complementary worker skills.  Under 
the 2004 Finance Act, moreover, a credit of 20 percent of the 
incremental expenditure on revenue items, royalties, plant, 
and machinery related to R&D can be offset against a 
company's corporation tax liability in the year in which it 
is incurred. 
 
¶22.   Visa, residence and work permit procedures for foreign 
investors are non-discriminatory and, for U.S. investors, 
generally liberal.  There are no restrictions on the numbers 
and duration of employment of foreign managers brought in to 
supervise foreign investment projects, though their work 
permits must be renewed yearly.  There are no discriminatory 
export policies or import policies affecting foreign 
investors. 
 
A.6. Right to Private Ownership and Establishment 
--------------------------------------------- ---- 
 
¶23.  The most common form of business organization in Ireland 
is the incorporated company, limited by shares, registered 
under the Companies Act, 1963, or previous legislation. 
Irish law does not prevent foreign corporations from carrying 
on business in Ireland.  Any company incorporated abroad that 
establishes a branch must, however, file certain papers with 
the Registrar of Companies.  A foreign corporation with a 
branch in Ireland will have the same standing in Irish law 
for purposes of contracts, etc., as a company incorporated in 
Ireland.  Private businesses are not at a competitive 
disadvantage to public enterprises with respect to access to 
markets, credit, and other business operations. 
 
¶24.  Before 1999, Irish company law differed from 
international norms by allowing, for tax purposes, the 
registration of companies in Ireland that were not actually 
resident in Ireland (so-called Irish Registered Non-Resident 
companies (IRNRs)).  In response to concern that a large 
number of the estimated 40,000 IRNRs were engaged in fraud, 
tax evasion, money laundering, and other illegal activities, 
the 1999 Finance Act equated registration in Ireland with tax 
residence and liability for all companies except in limited 
circumstances.  Exceptions include cases where the Irish 
company, or a related parent company, is carrying on trade in 
Ireland, and the company is ultimately controlled either by 
residents of an EU member state or by residents of a country 
with which Ireland has a tax treaty (including the United 
States).  Nonetheless, all Irish-based companies, including 
U.S. firms, claiming non-residence in Ireland because of tax 
treaty provisions must identify the beneficial owners of the 
company. 
 
¶25.   Similarly, the "Companies (Amendment) (No. 2) Act 1999" 
requires that every application for company registration in 
Ireland show the manner in which the proposed company will 
carry out activities in Ireland.  Section 43 of the 
legislation stipulates that a company must either have a 
director resident in the State or provide a bond of euro 
25,400 in the event that the company commits an offense under 
the Companies Act or tax legislation.  Section 44 states that 
these requirements may be waived when the Company obtains a 
certificate from the Companies Office stating that the 
company has a real and continuous link with one or more 
economic activities in Ireland.  Like the 1999 Finance Act, 
the Companies Act is designed to prevent the use of IRNRs for 
exclusively foreign activities without any connection to 
Ireland. 
 
 
A.7. Protection of Property Rights 
---------------------------------- 
 
(I) Real Property 
 
¶26.   Secured interests in property, both chattel and real 
estate, are recognized and enforced.  The Department of 
Justice administers a reliable system of recording such 
security interests through the Land Registry and Registry of 
Deeds.  An efficient, non-discriminatory legal system is 
accessible to foreign investors to protect and facilitate 
acquisition and disposition of all property rights. 
 
(II) Intellectual Property Rights 
 
¶27.   Ireland is a member of the World Intellectual Property 
Organization and a party to the International Convention for 
the Protection of Intellectual Property.  In July 2000, Irish 
President McAleese signed legislation bringing Irish 
intellectual property rights (IPR) law into compliance with 
Ireland's obligations under the WTO Trade-Related 
Intellectual Property Treaty (TRIPS).  The legislation came 
into force on January 1, 2001, and gives Ireland one of the 
most comprehensive systems of IPR protection in Europe. 
 
¶28.  This legislation addressed several TRIPs inconsistencies 
in previous Irish IPR law that had concerned foreign 
investors, including the absence of a rental right for sound 
recordings, the lack of an "anti-bootlegging" provision, and 
low criminal penalties that failed to deter piracy.  The new 
legislation has, by improving enforcement and penalties on 
both the civil and criminal sides, helped reduce the high 
levels of software and video piracy in Ireland. 
 
¶29.  As part of this comprehensive copyright legislation, 
changes were also made to revise the non-TRIPs conforming 
sections of Irish patent law.  Specifically, the new IPR 
legislation addresses two concerns of many foreign investors 
in the previous legislation: 
 
- the compulsory licensing provisions of the previous 1992 
Patent Law were inconsistent with the "working" requirement 
prohibition of TRIPs Articles 27.1 and the general compulsory 
licensing provisions of Article 31; and, 
 
- applications processed after December 20, 1991, did not 
conform to the non-discrimination requirement of TRIPs 
Article 27.1. 
 
¶30.  Piracy, however, continues to be a problem, as indicated 
by police seizures of counterfeit DVDs and CDs.  In August 
2003, police in Dundalk seized several thousand DVDs and CDs, 
worth approximately euro 500,000, which were intended for 
sale in open-air markets in the Republic of Ireland and 
Northern Ireland.  In December 2004, police in Cork recovered 
roughly euro 50,000 worth of counterfeit DVDs, CDs, sports 
clothing, and perfume ) the fourth such raid in the Cork 
area during the year.  It is widely believed that the Irish 
Republican Army (IRA) is involved in the manufacture and sale 
of DVDs and CDs on both sides of the border.  Moreover, 
industry sources estimate that up to 41 percent of PC 
software used in Ireland is pirated. 
 
 
A.8. Transparency of the Regulatory System 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶31.  The Irish Government generally employs a transparent and 
effective policy framework that fosters competition between 
private businesses in a non-discriminatory fashion.  While 
ongoing Irish judicial "Tribunals" are investigating possible 
links between indigenous Irish companies' political donations 
in the late 1980s and favorable government decisions, U.S. 
businesses can, in general, expect to receive national 
treatment in their dealings with the Government.  There is no 
report of any U.S. firm or investor having being required or 
forced to make payments during that period. 
 
¶32.  In recent years, independent bodies have taken over 
regulatory powers in key economic sectors from Cabinet 
Departments.  The Commission for Communications Regulation 
and the Commission for Energy Regulation are responsible for 
regulating the communications and energy sectors, 
respectively.  Both are independent bodies with institutional 
links to the Department of Communications, the Marine and 
Natural Resources.  The Commission for Aviation Regulation is 
an independent body that regulates the aviation sector.  It 
is institutionally linked to the Department of Transport, 
which has direct regulatory powers over other segments of the 
transportation sector. 
 
¶33.  The Competition (Amendment) Act 1996 amends and extends 
the Competition Act 1991 and strengthens the enforcement 
power of the Competition Authority, introduces criminal 
liability, increases corporate liability, and outlines 
available defenses.  Most tax, labor, environment, health and 
safety, and other laws are compatible with European Union 
regulations, and they do not adversely affect investment. 
Bureaucratic procedures generally are transparent and 
reasonably efficient. 
 
A.9. Efficient Capital Markets and Portfolio Investment 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶34.  Capital markets and portfolio investments operate 
freely, and there is no discrimination between Irish and 
foreign firms.  In some instances, development authorities 
and banks are able to facilitate loan packages to foreign 
firms with favorable credit terms.  Credit is allocated on 
market terms, although the Irish Competition Authority found 
in 2004 that the banking sector's lack of competition limited 
the amount of credit available to small and medium-sized 
firms.  Irish legal, regulatory, and accounting systems are 
transparent and consistent with international norms and 
provide a secure environment for portfolio investment.  The 
Capital Gains Tax rate is 20 percent.  The Irish banking 
system is sound.  The estimated total assets of all licensed 
credit institutions as of January 2005 equaled euro 702.8 
billion.  According to the Central Bank, non-performing loans 
comprised roughly one percent of total assets.  U.S. banks 
operating in Ireland include Citibank and Chase Manhattan. 
 
¶35.  Total market capitalization in the Irish Stock Exchange 
(ISEQ) is currently euro 82.9 billion, roughly 57 percent of 
projected 2004 nominal GDP (euro 144.8 billion).  In terms of 
market weight, the stocks of four companies are predominant: 
Allied Irish Bank, Bank of Ireland, CRH (a construction 
industry supplier), and Elan (a pharmaceuticals firm).  The 
Irish stock market has recovered steadily since plummeting in 
2002 following the global economic slowdown and 
well-publicized management problems at several major Irish 
companies.  Since 2003, ISEQ has been up 23 percent and, 
between January and October 2004, was up 14.5 percent.  This 
is one of the strongest performances in the developed world 
and has pushed ISEQ close to its mid-2001 high.  Economists 
attribute ISEQ's robust showing to Ireland's broad-based 
economic growth and a likely under-valuing of Irish stocks 
earlier in the decade.  A proposal to establish a secondary 
stock exchange in 2005 focusing on small and medium-sized 
enterprises (SMEs) is also under consideration. 
 
¶36.  In May 2003, the Central Bank of Ireland was reorganized 
into the Central Bank and Financial Services Authority of 
Ireland (CBFSAI), in accord with the Central Bank and 
Financial Services Authority of Ireland Act 2003.  Under the 
legislation, the Governor of the CBFSAI has responsibility 
for the overall stability of the Irish financial system.  The 
legislation also established the Irish Financial Services 
Regulatory Authority (IFSRA), which is an autonomous but 
constituent part of CBFSAI that regulates financial services 
institutions in Ireland.  IFSRA took over this responsibility 
from a mix of government bodies, including: the Central Bank, 
the Department of Trade, Enterprise, and Employment (DETE), 
the Office of Director of Consumer Affairs, and Registrar of 
Friendly Societies.  The legislation also enhanced the 
regulatory powers given to IFSRA, particularly in consumer 
protection. 
 
¶37.  With the advent of Economic and Monetary Union (EMU), 
the Central Bank is now a member of the European System of 
Central Banks (ESCB) whose primary objective is to maintain 
price stability in the euro area.  Ireland no longer operates 
an independent monetary policy.  Rather, ESCB formulates and 
implements monetary policy for the euro area, and the Central 
Bank implements that policy at the national level.  The 
Governor of the Central Bank is one of 18 members of the 
Governing Council for the ECB and has an equal say in the 
formulation of monetary and interest rate policy.  The other 
main tasks of the Central Bank include: issuing euro currency 
in Ireland; acting as manager of the official external 
reserves of gold and foreign currency; conducting research 
and analysis on economic and financial matters; overseeing 
the domestic payment and settlement systems; and, managing 
investment assets on behalf of the State. 
 
 
¶A. 10. Political Violence 
------------------------- 
 
(I) Impact of Northern Ireland Instability 
 
¶38.   In the past, political instability and violence in 
Northern Ireland were thought to affect the Republic of 
Ireland.  In reality, however, there has been little spill 
over of violence or instability, especially since the late 
1970s and particularly after the cease-fires of 1994.  The 
growth of business investment and confidence in Northern 
Ireland since the cessation of widespread violence has 
benefited the Republic of Ireland, with cross-border trade 
reaching euro 2.5 billion in 2003.  No violence related to 
the situation in Northern Ireland has been specifically 
directed at U.S. citizens or firms located in the South. 
 
¶39.  The 1998 ratification of the Good Friday Agreement by 
large majorities in both Ireland and Northern Ireland has 
further diminished the potential for violence.  Since then, 
however, groups opposed to the peace process have continued 
to commit acts of criminality and terror in Northern Ireland 
and on mainland Britain.  There have been no serious 
incidents in the Republic of Ireland.  Through the second 
half of 2004, the Irish and British Governments conducted 
intensive mediation efforts among the Northern Ireland 
political parties in pursuit of a final peace agreement. 
These efforts were set to continue into 2005. 
 
(II) Other Acts of Political Violence 
 
¶40.  In 1997 and Spring 1998, an Irish environmental group 
vandalized two separate Irish crop trial sites, involving 
agricultural biotechnology crops.  The trials were conducted 
by the U.S. firm Monsanto.  Irish police investigated both 
incidents and criminal charges were filed in both cases. 
There have been no further incidents involving subsequent GMO 
plant trials in Ireland. 
 
¶41.  There have been no other recent incidents involving 
politically motivated damage to foreign investment projects 
and/or installations in the Republic of Ireland.  In 2003, an 
Irish citizen opposed to the Iraq War damaged a U.S. military 
plane at Shannon Airport.  In 2004, she was convicted in an 
Irish court and given a suspended sentence. 
 
¶A. 11. Corruption 
----------------- 
 
¶42.   Corruption is not a serious problem for foreign 
investors in Ireland.  The principal Irish legislation 
relating to anti-bribery and corruption includes the Public 
Bodies Corrupt Practices Act 1889, the Prevention of 
Corruption Act 1906, the Prevention of Corruption Act 1916 
and the Prevention of Corruption (Amendment) Act 2001.  This 
body of law makes it illegal for Irish public servants to 
accept bribes.  The Ethics in Public Office Act 1995 provides 
for the written annual disclosure of interests of people 
holding public office or employment. 
 
¶43.    Ireland signed the UN Convention on Corruption in 
December 2003, and ratification is pending a review of the 
legal measures required for implementation.  In January 2000, 
the GOI introduced to Parliament the "Prevention of 
Corruption  (Amendment) Act, 2001," to ratify and implement 
the OECD Convention on Bribery.  The legislation, which 
enabled Ireland to ratify a number of conventions dealing 
with corruption drawn up by the European Union, the Council 
of Europe, and the OECD, came fully into force as law in 
November 2002.  Ireland formally ratified the OECD Convention 
in September 2003.  Ireland is also a member of the OECD 
Working Group on Bribery and the Group of States Against 
Corruption (GRECO).  Under the Prevention of Corruption Act, 
the bribery of foreign officials is a criminal offense. 
Bribery of foreign officials may also invalidate a contract 
that a party is seeking to enforce in Ireland. 
 
¶44.  A number of ongoing judicial "Tribunals" are seeking to 
establish whether political donations by certain Irish 
companies in the late 1980s and early 1990s can be linked to 
favorable government decisions, mostly at the local level, in 
zoning and tax matters.  There is also growing media and 
public concern that business interests may have compromised 
Irish politics in the late 1980s and early 1990s.  These 
developments have led to calls for the establishment of a 
permanent commission to investigate allegations of corruption 
against politicians.  Despite these reports of payments to 
political parties and figures in the 1980s and early 1990s, 
there remains no indication that foreign businesses or 
investors have had to make such payments or been approached 
to make such payments to conduct business during the period 
in question or in years since. 
 
¶45.  In late 2004, the Government launched an inquiry into 
allegations that a Cabinet Minister approved for his former 
Department a no-bid public relations contract worth euro 
300,000 for a political associate.  This inquiry continued 
into 2005. 
 
¶46.  The Irish police (Garda Siochana) investigate 
allegations of corruption.  If sufficient evidence of 
criminal activity is found, the Director of Public 
Prosecutions prepares a file for prosecution.   A small 
number of public officials have been convicted of corruption 
and/or bribery in the past, although it is not a common 
occurrence. 
 
A.12.B. Bilateral Investment Agreements 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶47.    Ireland's only bilateral investment protection 
agreement is with the Czech Republic.  In addition, Ireland 
has bilateral tax treaties with the following countries: 
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Canada, China, 
Croatia, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, 
Finland, France, Germany, Hungary, India, Italy, Israel, 
Japan, Korea (Rep. of), Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, 
Malaysia, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, 
Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russia, Slovak Republic, Slovenia, 
South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, UK, the United 
States, and Zambia.  Treaties with Greece and Iceland were 
signed in November and December 2003, respectively.  The 
treaty with Iceland was ratified on January 1, 2005.  A 
treaty replacing the existing treaty with Canada was signed 
in October 2003.  These agreements serve to promote trade and 
investment between Ireland and the partner countries that 
would otherwise be discouraged by the possibility of double 
taxation.  New treaties with Argentina, Chile, Egypt, Kuwait, 
Malta, Morocco, Singapore, Tunisia, Turkey, and Ukraine are 
currently being negotiated.  Existing treaties with Cyprus 
and France are in the process of renegotiation. 
 
¶C.  OPIC and Other Investment Insurance Programs 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶48.   Since 1986 the U.S. Overseas Private Investment 
Corporation (OPIC) has been authorized to operate in Ireland 
as part of the U.S. effort to support the process of peace 
and reconciliation in Northern Ireland.   There is some 
potential in Ireland for OPIC's credit guarantee programs. 
No other countries have an investment insurance program in 
Ireland.  Ireland is a member of the Multilateral Investment 
Guarantee Agency (MIGA). 
 
¶49.   The estimated annual U.S. dollar value of local 
currency likely to be used by the U.S. Embassy in Ireland 
during 2005 is approximately USD 11.8 million.  The Embassy 
purchases local currency through centralized bulk purchasing 
arrangements at a competitive market rate. 
 
¶D. Labor 
-------- 
 
¶50.   The Irish economy created roughly 1,000 new jobs per 
week in 2004, paralleling strong economic growth during the 
year.  As of the third quarter of 2004, there were 1.89 
million people in employment in Ireland, an increase of 
57,200, or 3.1 percent, compared to the third quarter of 
¶2003.  This is the highest level of annual employment growth 
recorded since the first quarter of 2001, when the increase 
was 3.8 percent.  Since 1994, employment growth has averaged 
just below 4.0 percent, with lower rates recorded in 2002 and 
2003 following the post 9-11 global economic slowdown. 
Comparing the third quarters of 2003 and 2004, the largest 
increase in employment was in the construction sector, which 
added 21,600 jobs.  There were also gains in financial 
services, wholesale and retail trade, and health.  Hotels and 
restaurants saw the largest drop in employment, with a 
decrease of 7,600 jobs. 
 
¶51.  In contrast to 15.6 percent unemployment in 1993, 
Ireland registered 4.3 percent unemployment in the third 
quarter of 2004.  This latest figure was the lowest 
unemployment rate among European Member states and roughly 
half the eurozone average.  The number of unemployed people 
in the third quarter was 93,900, representing a decrease of 
4,900 compared to the third quarter of 2003.  Moreover, 
Ireland's jobless rate among people under 25 was roughly 8 
percent, as compared to the eurozone average of 17.3 percent. 
 Local economists believe that the Irish economy is as close 
to full employment as possible, with employers reporting 
difficulties in recruiting workers.  Whereas once Ireland's 
number one policy goal was job creation, employment growth 
has shifted the focus to increasing the labor force and 
upgrading skills and qualifications. 
 
¶52.  Irish labor force regulation is less restrictive 
compared with most continental EU countries.  The Irish 
workforce is characterized by a high degree of flexibility, 
mobility, and education.  There is a relative gender balance 
in the workforce, with 1.15 million males and 830,000 females 
currently employed.  This gender balance reflects a change in 
social mores that has facilitated a surge in female 
employment since the mid-1980s 
 
¶53.  With the tightening of the labor market, wages remain on 
an upward growth curve.  Average annual compensation in 
Ireland in 2004 grew by over 4 percent to euro 38,140, 
compared to euro 34,630, the average wage in the original 15 
EU Member States.  Between 1998 and 2003, compensation per 
employee increased by 37.1 percent, compared with 8.7 percent 
in Germany over the same period.  The minimum wage was euro 
5.20 when it was first introduced in 2000 and has risen to 
euro 7.00 as of 2005.  Employees earning the minimum wage 
currently do not have to pay personal income tax, although 
scheduled increases in the minimum wage in the coming years 
may place minimum-wage earners back in the tax net. 
 
¶54.  During the 1990s, average labor productivity growth in 
the manufacturing sector exceeded average earnings growth. 
As a result of a steady decline in average unit costs, Irish 
competitiveness improved.  These competitive gains were 
further enhanced by the nominal depreciation of the euro 
relative to the dollar and sterling.  Given increasing wages 
and the recent appreciation in the value of the euro, Irish 
competitiveness, relative to its main trading partners, is 
falling.  Despite these negative factors, Ireland still 
maintains a below average relative wage cost when compared to 
its major trading partners. 
 
¶55.   The Irish system of industrial relations is a voluntary 
one.  Pay levels and conditions of employment are generally 
agreed through collective bargaining between employers and 
employees.  Since 1987, collective bargaining has taken place 
under the framework of a series of national economic 
programs, negotiated by representatives of employers, trade 
unions, farmers, and the government.  This consensual "Social 
Partnership" approach has been accompanied by a marked 
improvement in the industrial relations climate since the 
mid-1980s.  Working days lost as a result of industrial 
disputes amounted to 21,257 in 2002 and roughly 34,000 in 
2003 (a fraction of the total days lost through industrial 
action in the 1980s and early 1990s). 
 
¶56.   The latest national economic program, "Sustaining 
Progress", was agreed under the Social Partnership framework 
in February 2003 and approved by Ireland's major unions in 
August 2004.  The 18-month agreement exchanges a 7 percent 
wage increase for industrial relations stability.  While the 
package will cost the GOI - Ireland's largest employer - an 
estimated euro 2.5 billion, private industries unable to pay 
the full 7 percent due to competitive pressures will be 
permitted to pay lesser increases or none at all.  As part of 
the package, the GOI committed to provide an increased supply 
of "affordable housing" and to amend legislation and 
statutory codes to strengthen the procedures by which unions 
can represent their members' interests.  In addition, the GOI 
enhanced statutory redundancy terms to provide released 
employees with two weeks' compensation for each year of 
service. 
 
¶57.  In recent years, increases in the cost of living have 
mitigated the benefits of pay increases.  The Irish inflation 
rate is currently 2.2 percent, just slightly above the 
eurozone average of 2.0 percent.  Between 2000 and 2003, 
however, Ireland's annual inflation rate was 2 to 3 times the 
eurozone average.  Irish Government studies show that Ireland 
is now the most expensive country in the EU (or at least tied 
with Finland for that distinction).  Annual growth rates in 
housing prices, for example, have been in the double-digit 
range since the late 1990s, causing disillusionment among 
aspiring homeowners.  Even though Ireland in 2004 recorded 
its tenth consecutive year for housing starts, with 80,000 
homes built, demand continues to exceed supply.  The 
alternative to home ownership is rental housing, which is 
also expensive and insufficiently regulated for compliance 
with structural stability standards.  These trends have made 
the provision of affordable housing a major issue for the 
government. 
 
¶58.  Trade union demands for mandatory trade union 
recognition in the workplace are strongly resisted by 
employers.  While the Irish constitution guarantees the right 
of citizens to form associations and unions, Irish law also 
affirms the right of employers not to recognize unions and to 
deal with employees on an individual basis.  Currently, 
roughly 33 percent of workers in the private sector are 
unionized, compared to 95 percent in the public sector. 
Among foreign-owned firms, roughly 80 percent of workers do 
not belong to unions.  Employers also strongly oppose trade 
union demands for greater "partnership" between employees and 
employers at the enterprise level, including worker 
participation in managerial decisions through German-style 
"work councils."  Some progress has been made, however, with 
regard to increased profit-sharing. 
 
¶E.  Foreign Trade Zones/Free Ports 
---------------------------------- 
 
¶59.   The Shannon duty-free Processing Zone (SDFPZ) was 
established   by legislation in 1957.  Under the legislation, 
eligible companies operating in the Shannon Free Zone are 
entitled to the following benefits: goods imported from 
non-EU countries for storage, handling or processing are duty 
free; no duty on goods exported from Shannon to non-EU 
countries; no time limit on disposal of goods held duty-free; 
minimum customs documentation and formalities; no Value Added 
Tax (VAT) on imported goods, including capital equipment; 
choice of having import duty on non-EU product calculated on 
its landing value or selling-out  price.  Qualifying criteria 
for eligible companies include employment creation and 
export-orientation.  Foreign-owned firms in the Shannon Free 
Zone have the same investment opportunities as indigenous 
Irish companies.  As of 2004, there were 110 internationally 
traded manufacturing and service companies employing 7,472 
workers.  U.S. companies operating out of Shannon include GE 
Capital, Bristol Myers Squibb, DHL, UPS, Pfizer, and 
Cabletron.  The Shannon Free Zone is technically an asset of 
SFADCO, although the Government is currently reviewing a 
proposal to place the zone under the authority of Shannon 
Airport as a means of airport funding. 
 
¶60.  Duty free exemptions are available also to companies 
operating in Ireland's major deep-water port at Ringaskiddy 
in County Cork, although these have been used infrequently in 
recent years. 
 
¶F.  Foreign Direct Investment Statistics 
---------------------------------------- 
 
¶61.  According to Ireland's Central Statistical Office (CSO), 
Ireland received FDI flows worth euro 23.3 billion in 2003, 
or 0.18 percent of nominal 2003 GDP (euro 134.8 billion). 
For end-year 2003, the stock of FDI in Ireland stood at to 
euro 171.9 billion, or 127 percent of nominal 2003 GDP. 
According to the 2003 United Nations Conference for Trade and 
Development (UNCTAD) World Investment Report, Ireland (with a 
population of 4 million) ranked seventh among FDI recipient 
countries, behind Luxembourg, China, France, the United 
States, Belgium, and Spain. 
¶62.   In 2004, the 1,055 companies supported by IDA Ireland 
spent euro 15.5 billion in the Irish economy from their 
annual sales of euro 72 billion and exports of euro 68 
billion and paid over euro 2.7 billion in corporate tax. 
During the year, IDA negotiated 70 new business projects with 
new and existing clients, which involved a total investment 
commitment of over euro 5 billion for the coming years.  IDA 
also supported 36 R&D investment projects involving a total 
investment by business in excess of euro 140 million. 
 
¶63.  At end-2004, 490 IDA-assisted U.S. companies were 
operating in Ireland, employing 89,158 workers, representing 
roughly 75 percent of the total number of workers employed by 
IDA-supported foreign firms and 5 percent of total Irish 
employment.  In 2003, Ireland secured 64 foreign direct 
investment (FDI) projects, and, of these, 65 percent were by 
U.S. firms, including: Google, Overture, Ebay, PayPal, 
Centorcor, and Altera.  The following U.S. firms are engaged 
in major expansion projects: Intel, Symantec, Wyeth, MBNA, 
Abbott, Cenzyme, Medtronic, Xilinx, Pepsi, Guidant, Merit 
Medical, Cook, and Pfizer.  There are 120 companies with R&D 
investment plans in Ireland for the 2003-2005 period, and of 
these, 70 percent are U.S. firms, including, notably, IBM, 
HP, and Bell Labs.  The U.S. Department of Commerce estimates 
that U.S. companies' average return on investment (ROI) in 
Ireland is 24 percent. 
 
 
Table 7.1: Stock of U.S. Investment in Ireland 
(Millions of dollars; historical cost basis) 
 
                            2001       2002     2003 
 
All Industries            39,541      46,617    55,463 
Manufacturing             10,635      13,427    15,002 
  Food                       146         157       193 
  Chemicals                4,632       6,207     6,089 
  Metal                      118          22        33 
  Industrial machinery        18          23        24 
  Computers/Electronic     1,944       3,241     3,992 
  Transportation Equipment   176   unavailable  unavailable 
Wholesale trade            2,483       2,680     2,998 
Information                8,765      10,362    14,048 
Finance/Insurance          5,240       7,520     8,681 
Depositary Institutions      155         145       445 
Prof. Services             1,259       1,459     1,655 
Source:  U.S. Department of Commerce, Survey of Current 
Business 
 
Table 7.2: Investment Flows into Ireland by Country Origin, 
2002 
(in euro millions) 
 
Total                  25,895 
UK                      2,520 
Belgium/Luxembourg      3,194 
France                   -758 
Germany                 3,388 
Italy                    -380 
Netherlands            10,734 
Canada                    222 
United States           7,859 
Japan                  -3,335 
Source: Ireland Central Statistical Office (CSO) website 
 
(Note: 2002 is the last year for which Ireland has 
country-origin investment flow and stock statistics.  Ireland 
does not have investment data by sector destination.  Also, 
investment by U.S. companies in Ireland is often effected 
through intermediary subsidiaries located outside the United 
States.  According to the CSO, a sizeable proportion of the 
Dutch investment cited above originated in the United 
States.) 
 
Table 7.3: Investment Stock in Ireland by Country Origin, 2002 
(in euro millions) 
 
Total                  176,124 
UK                      16,810 
Belgium/Luxembourg      12,099 
France                    -487 
Germany                 10,317 
Italy                    3,945 
Netherlands             59,940 
Canada                   6,587 
United States           37,422 
Source: Ireland Central Statistical Office (CSO) website 
 
Table 7.4: Total Employment by Sector in IDA-Supported 
Companies 
 
 
                                   2001      2002       2003 
Information/Communications 
Technologies                     46,513    43,660     41,459 
 
Pharmaceuticals/Healthcare       18,587    18,996     19,463 
 
Engineering                      17,699    16,662     15,435 
 
Miscellaneous Industry           10,633     9,964      9,242 
 
International and Financial 
Services                         42,845    42,762     43,394 
 
Total                           136,277   132,004    128,993 
Source: IDA Ireland Annual Report, 2003 
 
 
Table 7.5: Origins of IDA-Supported Companies, End-2003 
 
 
Country          Number of Firms        Employment 
 
United States          490                89,158 
United Kingdom         118                 8,086 
Germany                149                11,394 
Rest of Europe         214                15,602 
Asia/Pacific           44                  2,937 
Rest of World          40                  1,816 
Total               1,055                128,993 
Source: IDA Ireland Annual Report, 2003 
 
 
Table 7.6: Major U.S. Investments in Ireland 
 
Company                                        Location 
 
Apple Computers                                    Cork 
AIG Europe                                       Dublin 
Bausch & Lomb                                 Waterford 
Berlitz                                          Dublin 
Boston Scientific                 Galway, Cork, Wexford 
HP-Compaq Computers                      Galway, Dublin 
Citibank                                         Dublin 
Dell Computers                         Limerick, Dublin 
Eastman Kodak                            Limerick, Cork 
Fidelity                                         Dublin 
Gartner Group                                   Limerick 
Hertz                                             Dublin 
IBM Ireland                                       Dublin 
Intel Ireland                            Dublin, Leixlip 
Johnson & Johnson                                 Dublin 
Millipore Ireland BV                                Cork 
Motorola                                            Cork 
Netscape Communications                           Dublin 
Novartis                                            Cork 
Prudential Insurance of America              Letterkenny 
3Com                                              Dublin 
United Airlines                                   Dublin 
US Robotics                                       Dublin 
Woodchester Investments                           Dublin 
Wyeth Biopharma                                   Dublin 
Source: IDA Ireland Annual Report, 2003 
KENNY