Ireland economy grows 7.7 percent, leads eurozone

Associated Press ^ | Sep 18, 2014 9:28 AM EDT | Shawn Pogatchnik

[Olog-hai]

Ireland’s economy is growing at a rapid pace last experienced at the tail-end of the Celtic Tiger boom, government statisticians reported Thursday as economists declared an end to the country’s financial doldrums.

The report from the Central Statistics Office said gross domestic product grew 7.7 percent from July 2013 to June 2014, the biggest annual rate of growth since early 2007. It said quarterly GDP rose 1.5 percent versus the January-March quarter.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan said the figures suggested that Ireland would record around 4.5 percent GDP growth this year, accelerating the country’s escape from debt woes that forced it to take a 2010-2013 international bailout. Earlier this year, Noonan forecast growth of just 2.1 percent. …

[BilLies]

I always knew that the Irish were smarter than the Kenyan-Americans.

[Trapped Behind Enemy Lines]

They are having our lunch with their top corporate tax rate which I think is around 12.5%

[Dr. Thorne]

My prediction: As soon as the Irish get their heads above water fiscally, Irish politicians will promise the Moon in order to be elected and will raise taxes to pay for their promises, driving industry out of Ireland.

[Olog-hai]

Their masters in the European Union already want corporate tax rates “harmonized” at about 25 percent, to match the “bigger” countries.

[aMorePerfectUnion]

But...

they’re too small a country to survive!
they’re too socialistic!
they’re slaves to the eu!
they should have never broken from the UK!!!

[Olog-hai]

The first in that list is what most Irish still think of their own country. So if they let their corporate tax rate get “harmonized” with the “bigger” countries of the EU (i.e. doubled from its current rate), it’s all going to collapse—again.

[Michael Collins]

“The first in that list is what most Irish still think of their own country..” (They’re too small a country to survive!)

No, no we don’t.

Why make such silly, unfounded sweeping statements?

Of course, having only lived here (Ireland) for most of my life, I may still not have quite the insight that your undoubtedly sound source for this assertion has. If you would care to reveal it I’d be glad to take out a short notice in one of our national dailies to put the population straight. I can’t bear to think of my fellow countrymen continuing to live in ignorance of their own real opinions..

[Olog-hai]

What part of Ireland?

Most of the people over on Politics.ie and other websites always call Ireland “too small” versus the EU’s “Big Countries” (especially Germany and France); go ahead and join up to convince them otherwise. A number of them are just fine with being told what to do by the EU, never mind not building up national infrastructure and remaining dependent on outside help—especially people like Enda Kenny. (Of course, a sizable number of them may be EU plants, but that would not mean all of them.)

[Olog-hai]

Sorry; did not give the correct link to Politics.ie.