Written Answers Nos. 81-99
81. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Finance if he will consider suspending all operations of NAMA pending the outcome of all current investigations into the sale of Project Eagle by NAMA, including those by the National Crime Agency, Securities and Exchange Commission, the FBI and the Committee of Public Accounts; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1720/17]
View answerAs I have stated on a number of occasions, mostly recently in Parliamentary Question No. 21 of 10th November 2016, I have no intention of directing NAMA to halt its activities. To do so would irreparably damage NAMA's positive contribution to our recovery and damage our reputation as a credible, open and transparent market. By extension, any such interference would be detrimental to the interests of Irish taxpayers.
I do not believe any of the investigations referenced by the Deputy have concluded but, to my knowledge, none are questioning the integrity of the NAMA Board. In addition, the Public Accounts Committee's public sessions to discuss the C&AG's report on Project Eagle have concluded and I understand the Public Accounts Committee may choose to publish its views in this regard in the coming weeks.
83. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Finance his views on the use of NAMA-controlled properties to assist in providing affordable housing to persons; if he will use his powers under the NAMA Act 2009 to this end; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1751/17]
View answerLet me begin by clarifying that I am taking your use of the words "affordable housing" to refer to housing made available to tenants at below market prices.
Assets often referred to as "NAMA land" or "NAMA properties" are not owned by NAMA. NAMA owns loans. Such property is owned by private persons who owe money to NAMA ("NAMA debtors") and serves as collateral for those amounts owed. It is the income and proceeds generated from this property, via rental or sales, that is used by NAMA debtors to repay what they owe to NAMA. This is the same relationship as between a mortgage lender and mortgage borrower, where the borrower pledges the purchased house as collateral against the mortgage, but still retains control and ownership of the house. The lender does not own the property and generally has no rights to influence the borrower's use of that property, beyond the contractual provisions set out in the loan.
The borrower has the right to maximise the value of the property which secures his/her loan. A lender cannot force a borrower to take action which would reduce his/her repayment capacity, such as providing property for affordable housing where that is not economically optimal. To do so would breach the borrower's property rights protected under Article 43 of the Constitution. Specifically relating to your question, NAMA cannot direct its debtors or receivers to use property for purposes where that is not economically optimal.
I cannot accede to your request to use my powers under the NAMA Act in this instance, as I am advised that such a direction is not one lawfully open to me in the current circumstances.
A more relevant question is whether a potential purchaser is willing to pay market value for a property and then offer it for affordable housing at below market prices? Subsidies that allow for the social use of assets are typically borne by the State in the form of direct provision of accommodation, social welfare payments, rent subsidies and other social supports. The reality is that providing such subsidies requires the best use of limited Government resources.
Local Authorities are not precluded from acquiring properties for affordable housing purposes, including properties owned by NAMA debtors. NAMA continuously reviews the assets of every NAMA debtor to establish if properties securing their loans could be utilised for residential development or social housing and with the cooperation of its debtors is willing to make such opportunities available to local authorities and approved housing bodies.
In fact, NAMA has an established policy of identifying to Local Authorities, properties which may be suitable for their purposes. NAMA has facilitated the sale or lease by its debtors and receivers of properties, on commercial terms, to public bodies for a wide-range of purposes, including social housing; schools; healthcare facilities; and urban economic, environmental and cultural regeneration. All such transactions are executed at market value.
However, NAMA can only identify these potentially suitable properties and, ultimately, it is a matter for local authorities to determine which properties are most suitable for their housing needs. This process has seen the delivery of almost 2,400 units to local authorities, with a further 370 in the delivery pipeline.
NAMA also plans to facilitate the delivery of up to 20,000 private residential units to end 2020, assuming commercial viability.
I would refer the Deputy to NAMA's 2016 Year End review which highlights the significant achievements in delivery of social and private housing as well as many other key performance metrics.
I recognise the urgency of the issues you are seeking to address and believe NAMA does play a part in addressing these issues in line with its mandate. I believe the NAMA Board has appropriately balanced and is effectively carrying out its mandate, including a significant social and economic contribution.
84. Deputy Mick Wallace asked the Minister for Finance if he will provide an estimate of the tax loss to the Exchequer for the years 2013, 2014 and 2015; the details of the persons or bodies that hold section 110 tax status in relation to the NAMA policy of selling loan portfolios to investment funds; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1719/17]
View answerI am advised by the Revenue Commissioners that there is no requirement in tax legislation for "section 110" companies to provide details of the source of the financial assets which are to be held by the section 110 company. The same position applies as respects the information such companies are obliged to include in their annual tax returns. In the circumstances, it is not possible to provide the tax yield estimates requested.
I am further advised by Revenue that having regard to the provisions of section 851A of the Taxes Consolidation Act 1997 under which Revenue is obliged to treat taxpayer information confidentially any information regarding any section 110 company which acquired assets from NAMA cannot be disclosed.
85. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance if his Department has had discussions with the Central Bank regarding mortgage deposit requirements for prospective first-time buyers seeking to purchase their home who cannot save a sufficient deposit due to rising residential rent costs; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1649/17]
View answer298. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance the status of the ongoing review of the Central Bank mortgage lending limits as specified in the programme for Government; the role of his Department in the review process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1673/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 85 and 298 together.
The Central Bank announced the outcome of its review of the residential mortgage lending macro prudential measures on 23 November 2016. As part of the review process, the Central Bank initiated a public call for "evidence based submissions". The Department of Finance engaged in this process and it made a submission which the Central Bank has now published, along with all the other submissions it received, on its website at: http://www.centralbank.ie/stability/MacroprudentialPol/Pages/LoantoValueLoantoIncome.aspx#submissions. The Central Bank also consulted me, pursuant to section 49 of the Central Bank (Supervision & Enforcement) Act 2013, on the draft regulations which set out the proposed changes to the lending rules following the outcome of its review. These regulations have now been laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas.
These new regulations make certain refinements to the mortgage lending rules which were initially introduced in February 2015. In relation to first time buyers of a principal dwelling home, such buyers are now required to provide a minimum deposit of 10 per cent of the entire value of the property, with the loan-to-value (LTV) ceiling set at 90 per cent. This replaces the previous situation whereby a deposit of 10 per cent was required on the first €220,000 of the price of a property and 20 per cent on any balance above €220,000. The Central Bank has indicated that this change was made because the previous system was complex and would require regular updating and also that there was evidence showing that first-time buyers defaulted less than second-time and subsequent buyers, with the differential in default probabilities especially strong in the case of lower-valued properties. In addition, the Central Bank made some changes to proportionate LTV allowances regime and in relation to first time buyers they now provide that up to five per cent of the value of new lending to first time buyers can be above the 90 per cent LTV threshold limit.
86. Deputy Pearse Doherty asked the Minister for Finance if, in view of the ongoing increases in house prices, he will abolish the help-to-buy scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1737/17]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the 'Help to Buy' incentive was initially announced on 19 July 2016 as part of 'Rebuilding Ireland: Action Plan for Housing and Homelessness'. This plan contains a significant volume of responses to the current housing crisis, of which the Help to Buy incentive is one. This comprehensive Action Plan takes a holistic approach in addressing the many interacting structural constraints affecting the housing market in areas such as planning and land use, as well as regulation and skills deficits in the construction sector. While the primary focus of the Action Plan is to tackle structural constraints, fiscal supports can play a supporting and time-bound role in addressing the current problems in the housing sector.
It is in this context that the Help-to-Buy scheme should be considered. Its role is to complement the other measures in the Action Plan. The extent to which the scheme could lead to an increase in residential property prices will very much depend on the speed and efficiency with which structural supply constraints are eliminated and residential building activity increases. Therefore, the impact of the Help-to-Buy incentive on property prices cannot be considered in isolation from the impact of other measures contained in the Action Plan, which are primarily designed to increase supply.
I wish to assure the Deputy that my Department continues to monitor developments in the property market including property prices on an ongoing basis. However, the Help to Buy incentive, which came into effect at the start of this month, has been introduced for two reasons - to assist first time buyers in putting together the requisite deposit to buy a home, and to encourage the construction of new homes. As such, I am not willing to abolish the Help to Buy incentive so soon after implementing it as this would not create the conditions to encourage the construction of new homes.
I have already committed to commissioning an independent economic impact assessment of the Help to Buy incentive which will look at, among other issues, the impact on property prices. However, it should be remembered that the high rates of house prices reflect the supply constrained nature of the Irish residential market, and were an issue over the past number of years rather than since the start of the Help to Buy incentive.
87. Deputy John Curran asked the Minister for Finance the progress being made with the Irish League of Credit Unions to develop its proposals to make funding available for social housing; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1603/17]
View answerI am pleased that the credit union sector is considering various proposals to increase its income and develop its business model. My Department has received a number of such proposals from both the Irish League of Credit Unions and from the Credit Union Development Association. Proposals from both representative bodies, in relation to the funding of social housing, are at various stages of development. While the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government is the Department primarily responsible for the formulation and implementation of policy and for the preparation of legislation in relation to housing, any such proposals would require approval of the Registrar of Credit Unions at the Central Bank before they could be implemented.
The Central Bank has informed me that it has received information regarding proposals for credit unions to provide funding for social housing and is currently engaging with the sector on those proposals. It further stated that while it does not comment on specific proposals, such investments could be facilitated by future regulations made by the Central Bank, where appropriate. The Central Bank also stated that it is willing to consider the type of regulations that would be required to facilitate such proposals. However, the Central Bank's key consideration in evaluating such proposals is its statutory mandate to ensure the protection of members' savings by credit unions and to ensure the wellbeing of the sector generally.
Officials from both my Department and the Department of Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government have met with the representative bodies on a number of occasions to examine how credit unions can assist in the area of social housing. Officials from both Departments have also met with the Central Bank. Separately, meetings are ongoing between the Department of Housing and my Department, with the latest meeting to progress this matter taking place in December 2016.
89. Deputy Paul Murphy asked the Minister for Finance the measures he will take to reduce the cost of car insurance; his views on the profit levels of companies providing car insurance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1750/17]
View answerThe Report of the Cost of Insurance Working Group chaired by Minister of State Eoghan Murphy was approved by Government on 10 January 2017.
The Report contains 33 recommendations and 71 actions in an Action Plan, and covers six main themes:
- Protecting the consumer
- Improving data availability
- Improving the personal injuries claims environment
- Reducing the costs in the claims process
- Reducing insurance fraud and uninsured driving
- Promoting road safety and reducing collisions
A number of actions are already underway and I am confident that the report's 71 actions will be implemented by the end of 2018, with 45 due to be completed this year.
The recommendations include actions to:
- address the lack of transparency in the claims environment, through the establishment of a national claims information database which will be located in the Central Bank;
- provide enhanced guidance in how to determine compensation for personal injuries claims, through the establishment of a Personal Injuries Commission;
- address the increasing level of uninsured driving, through the establishment of a fully functioning database which will allow the Gardaí to check insurance compliance through the use of technology such as Automatic Number Plate Recognition; and
- address the issue of suspected fraud, through the establishment of a database that will be funded by industry but held by an independent body and that will take into account data protection concerns.
While there is no silver bullet to reduce the cost of insurance, cooperation and commitment between all parties can deliver fairer premiums for consumers without unnecessary delay.
In relation to the profit levels of companies providing car insurance, the Deputy may wish to note that the profitability of the sector is discussed in Chapter 3 of the Report. The Report highlights that the industry made substantial profits between 2005 and 2008 (€2.2bn of which €1bn approx. related to motor insurance). However during the period from 2009 to 2015 there were underwriting losses of €1.3bn, with motor insurance accounting for €900m of this. It should also be noted that the low interest rate environment has materially affected the levels of interest or investment income which insurers can earn and has reduced their ability to compensate in part for their underwriting losses.
90. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Finance his views on the recent announcement by the European Commission that EU expenditure caps will be loosened by 0.5% or more in 2017 to stimulate the economies of the 28 members; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36504/16]
View answerI am assuming the Deputy is referring to the draft Council recommendation on the economic policy of the euro area (COM(2016) 726 final) proposed by the European Commission on the 16th of November 2016. This recommendation is addressed to the euro area rather than the EU28.
For the euro area as a whole, the Commission suggested that, in order to strengthen economic recovery, a fiscal expansion of up to 0.5% of GDP at the level of the euro area as a whole in 2017 is desirable.
I would point out that several Member States have questioned firstly, the legal basis for the Commission's recommendation and secondly, the appropriateness of such a policy. The draft recommendation (it has not yet been adopted by the Council) notes the need for appropriate differentiation of fiscal effort depending on the Member State's position with regard to the requirements under the Stability and Growth Pact as set out below:
"(i) for Member States which are over-achieving their fiscal objectives, use their fiscal space to support domestic demand and quality investments, including cross-border ones, as part of the Investment Plan for Europe;
(ii) for Member States that need further fiscal adjustments under the preventive arm of the Pact, make sure to be broadly compliant with the requirements of the Stability and Growth Pact;
(iii) for Member States under the corrective arm, ensure a timely correction of their excessive deficits, including by providing fiscal buffers against unforeseen circumstances. Improve the composition of public finances by creating more room for tangible and intangible investment and ensure the effective functioning of national fiscal frameworks."
The recommendation stops short, however, of advocating specific loosening by respective Member States to support the 0.5% of euro area GDP looser fiscal stance.
From an Irish perspective, Government policy is to utilise the fiscal space available under the rules and this is reflected in Budget 2017, which was found to be broadly compliant with the Stability and Growth Pact, as per the 16th of November 2016 Commission Opinion.
91. Deputy Joan Burton asked the Minister for Finance the contact he has had with the Commissioner for Economic and Financial Affairs, Taxation and Customs, Mr. Pierre Moscovici, regarding the common consolidated corporate tax base since December 2016. [1717/17]
View answerThe European Commission's proposal for a Common Consolidated Corporate Tax Base was published in October and discussed at the November ECOFIN meeting at which both Commissioner Moscovici and I were present. During the discussion, which was held in public session, a number of my fellow Ministers gave some initial impressions of the proposal.
At the December ECOFIN, Council Conclusions were approved in respect of the Commission's wider package which includes the CCCTB proposal but there was no specific discussion of the proposals at that meeting.
No other specific contact has occurred between myself and Commissioner Moscovici on the proposal since then.
92. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Finance if agreements have been reached on the European Fund for Strategic Investments. [1990/17]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that, following several months of negotiations between the Member States with input from both the European Commission and the European Investment Bank, an agreement was reached at the European Council on 12th December 2016 on Council's position regarding the extension of the European Fund for Strategic Investments (EFSI).
The agreement reached was on the September 2016 Commission proposal to extend EFSI both in terms of duration, by an additional two years to 2020; and in size, from €315 billion to €500 billion. Agreement was also reached on certain enhancements to the European Investment Advisory Hub (EIAH), which along with EFSI is a pillar of the EU's response to the Investment crisis.
Ireland has been a consistent supporter of the European Union's efforts in response to the crisis in investment of which EFSI has been an important element since its establishment in 2015 as part of the broader Investment Plan for Europe. Ireland's support has been based on a view of EFSI as being a potentially useful aid to Member States in funding projects that might not otherwise happen.
Led by the Department of Finance, Ireland engaged closely in the recent EFSI extension negotiations. Priorities central to this engagement focused on enhancements that might increase EFSI's geographic balance amongst Member States, its additionality in terms of funding projects that would not otherwise happen, as well as its impact on the real economy given the importance of our SME sector generally and the challenge posed to our economy generally by Brexit.
Following the agreement amongst Council at the December European Council, the EFSI extension proposal negotiation will now continue with the European Parliament under the Maltese Presidency. The intention ultimately is to reach an agreement with the European Parliament during the first half of 2017, if possible.
93. Deputy Micheál Martin asked the Taoiseach if he has met any leaders of the Northern Ireland political parties since the resignation of the deputy First Minister of Northern Ireland, Mr. Martin McGuinness. [1712/17]
View answerLast Tuesday, following the resignation of dFM McGuinness, I met with the Sinn Féin leadership – Gerry Adams and Mary Lou McDonald, to discuss developments. I then spoke by phone to both Martin McGuinness and DUP Leader Arlene Foster to explore the possibility of a resolution to the difficulties.
Later that day I spoke with Prime Minister May to discuss the events. We agreed that our two Governments would continue to work closely on these matters over the coming period and that we would keep in close contact. We also agreed that Minister for Foreign Affairs and Trade, Charlie Flanagan, and the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, James Brokenshire, would work together to see if a way forward could be found before an election had to be triggered.
I spoke with Prime Minister May again last evening when it became clear there would be no nomination of a deputy First Minister and that an election was inevitable.
Minister Flanagan and I remained available over the course of last weekend to assist but unfortunately, a way forward for the Executive could not be found and the date for Assembly elections has now been set for 2 March.
94. Deputy Dara Calleary asked the Taoiseach the gender balances on each of the State boards under his remit. [40976/16]
View answerI make appointments to the National Economic and Social Council (NESC) and National Statistics Board (NSB) in accordance with the relevant legislation. I have delegated authority to make appointments to the NSB to the Minister of State at my Department and Government Chip Whip, Regina Doherty T.D.
The terms of both these bodies have expired. The process of appointing/reappointing members to the NSB is currently underway and is expected to be completed in the coming weeks. Consideration as to the best arrangements for any future Council is ongoing.
95. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Taoiseach the number of enterprises here in manufacturing, as classified by EUROSTAT in the data set manufacturing, NACE Section C. [40826/16]
View answerThe latest breakdown of the number of enterprises by sector available from the Central Statistics Office is for the year 2014. The figures are published in Table 1 of the CSO's Business Demography release 2014, which shows the number of enterprises in the private business economy, i.e. in private sector businesses in the Industry, Construction, and Services sectors (NACE Rev 2 codes B to N, excluding code 64.20 “Activities of Holding Companies”) as classified by the CSO. The table includes the number of enterprises in the Manufacturing sector (NACE Section C). The results in the CSO Business Demography release are also transmitted to and published by Eurostat. The following table shows the number of enterprises by sector for the years 2013 and 2014 respectively.
Table 1 - Number of Enterprises in the Private Business Economy 2013 – 2014
|
2013 |
2014 |
|
|
Mining and quarrying (B) |
421 |
411 |
|
Manufacturing (C) |
14,649 |
14,628 |
|
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (D) |
485 |
483 |
|
Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities (E) |
985 |
975 |
|
Construction (F) |
48,502 |
47,349 |
|
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (G) |
47,061 |
45,618 |
|
Transportation and storage (H) |
25,734 |
24,595 |
|
Accommodation and food service activities (I) |
17,913 |
17,790 |
|
Information and communication (J) |
13,578 |
13,687 |
|
Financial and insurance activities excluding activities of holding companies (K-642) |
7,502 |
6,593 |
|
Real estate activities (L) |
12,065 |
11,912 |
|
Professional, scientific and technical activities (M) |
38,911 |
38,795 |
|
Administrative and support service activities (N) |
15,764 |
15,412 |
|
Business economy excluding activities of holding companies (B to N,-642) |
243,571 |
238,249 |
96. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Taoiseach if he will provide the EUROSTAT data with respect to the Irish enterprise birth rate. [40839/16]
View answerThe latest breakdown of the number of enterprise births available from the Central Statistics Office is for the year 2014. The figures, which are published in Table 4 of the CSO's Business Demography release 2014, show the number of enterprise births in the private business economy, i.e. in private sector businesses in the Industry, Construction, and Services sectors (NACE Rev 2 codes B to N, excluding code 64.20 “Activities of Holding Companies”) as classified by the CSO. The results in the CSO Business Demography release are also transmitted to and published by Eurostat. The following table contains the enterprise birth figures by sector for the years 2013 and 2014 respectively.
Table 1 - Number of Enterprise Births in the Private Business Economy 2013 - 2014
|
2013 |
2014 |
|
|
Mining and quarrying (B) |
26 |
18 |
|
Manufacturing (C) |
841 |
997 |
|
Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply (D) |
.. |
31 |
|
Water supply, sewerage, waste management and remediation activities (E) |
.. |
64 |
|
Construction (F) |
2,473 |
3,526 |
|
Wholesale and retail trade, repair of motor vehicles and motorcycles (G) |
2,304 |
2,468 |
|
Transportation and storage (H) |
805 |
1,026 |
|
Accommodation and food service activities (I) |
1,142 |
1,251 |
|
Information and communication (J) |
1,249 |
1,333 |
|
Financial and insurance activities excluding activities of holding companies (K-642) |
639 |
418 |
|
Real estate activities (L) |
862 |
1,171 |
|
Professional, scientific and technical activities (M) |
2,431 |
2,800 |
|
Administrative and support service activities (N) |
952 |
1,153 |
|
Business economy excluding activities of holding companies (B to N,-642) |
13,825 |
16,256 |
.. Indicates that the data has been suppressed to protect the confidentiality of individual enterprises.
97. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach the number of persons living in Northern Ireland who are employed here; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41133/16]
View answerThe Central Statistics Office and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency published a joint report in 2014 presenting comprehensive census of population results for both Ireland and Northern Ireland in a single publication. The report contains detailed information on cross border commuters. There were 6,456 cross border commuters who travelled from Northern Ireland to work or study in Ireland of whom 6,324 were workers. The breakdown by industry is presented in the following table.
|
Cross-border commuters at work in Ireland, by industry, 2011 |
Number |
|
Agriculture, forestry and fishing |
83 |
|
Mining and quarrying |
27 |
|
Manufacturing |
773 |
|
Electricity and gas |
32 |
|
Water supply, sewerage and waste |
36 |
|
Construction |
413 |
|
Wholesale and retail trade |
984 |
|
Transportation and storage |
259 |
|
Accommodation and food service activities |
331 |
|
Information and communication activities |
311 |
|
Financial and insurance activities |
341 |
|
Real estate activities |
35 |
|
Professional, scientific and technical activities |
373 |
|
Administrative and support service activities |
150 |
|
Public administration and defence |
416 |
|
Education |
648 |
|
Human health and social work activities |
740 |
|
Arts, entertainment and recreation |
314 |
|
Other |
58 |
|
Total |
6,324 |
98. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach the number of persons resident here that work in Northern Ireland; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41134/16]
View answerThe Central Statistics Office and the Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency published a joint report in 2014 presenting comprehensive census of population results for both Ireland and Northern Ireland in a single publication. The report contains detailed information on cross border commuters. There were 8,295 cross border commuters who travelled from Ireland to work or study in Northern Ireland of whom 6,416 were workers. The breakdown by industry is presented in the following table.
|
Cross-border commuters at work in Northern Ireland, by industry, 2011 |
Number |
|
Agriculture, forestry and fishing |
55 |
|
Mining and quarrying |
33 |
|
Manufacturing |
848 |
|
Electricity and gas |
39 |
|
Water supply, sewerage and waste |
40 |
|
Construction |
373 |
|
Wholesale and retail trade |
894 |
|
Transportation and storage |
211 |
|
Accommodation and food service activities |
216 |
|
Information and communication activities |
288 |
|
Financial and insurance activities |
257 |
|
Real estate activities |
16 |
|
Professional, scientific and technical activities |
310 |
|
Administrative and support service activities |
142 |
|
Public administration and defence |
574 |
|
Education |
798 |
|
Human health and social work activities |
1,015 |
|
Arts, entertainment and recreation |
188 |
|
Other |
119 |
|
Total |
6,416 |
99. Deputy Brendan Smith asked the Taoiseach the percentage of exports that transit Britain en route to other countries in Europe or other destinations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [41135/16]
View answerThe exact information requested by the Deputy is not available. Export trade statistics published by the CSO are compiled from a survey of exporting businesses carried out by the VIMA (VIES, Intrastat, Mutual Assistance) division of the Revenue Commissioners. The traders report in this survey the country of destination of the goods they export. Any country or countries through which the goods might pass en route to their final destination are not reported.
If goods are exported to Great Britain, and are subsequently exported again by a British trader to a third country, the CSO data will show these goods as having been exported to Great Britain.
For the Deputy's information, the following tables give selected data on Irish exports and imports to and from Great Britain and Northern Ireland as recently presented in CSO's report "Brexit - Ireland and the UK in Numbers".
Table A: Goods Exports 2015 classified by commodity
|
Commodity |
Total Exports €000's |
Exports - Great Britain €000's |
Exports Northern Ireland €000's |
% of Exports Great Britain |
% of Exports Northern Ireland |
|
Food and live animals |
9,877,833 |
3,914,147 |
594,844 |
39.6 |
6.0 |
|
Beverages and tobacco |
1,287,469 |
243,999 |
89,355 |
19.0 |
6.9 |
|
Crude materials, inedible, except fuels |
1,770,659 |
393,744 |
74,370 |
22.2 |
4.2 |
|
Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials |
772,924 |
418,289 |
27,119 |
54.1 |
3.5 |
|
Animal and vegetables oils, fats and waxes |
57,142 |
11,681 |
6,042 |
20.4 |
10.6 |
|
Chemicals and related products |
64,224,048 |
3,900,022 |
193,990 |
6.1 |
0.3 |
|
Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material |
2,105,212 |
915,357 |
233,006 |
43.5 |
11.1 |
|
Machinery and transport equipment |
16,808,258 |
2,557,527 |
154,937 |
15.2 |
0.9 |
|
Miscellaneous manufactured articles |
14,298,763 |
1,120,212 |
200,811 |
7.8 |
1.4 |
|
Commodities and transactions not classified elsewhere |
1,205,035 |
335,168 |
169,651 |
27.8 |
14.1 |
|
Total |
112,407,343 |
13,810,147 |
1,744,125 |
12.3 |
1.6 |
Table B: Goods Imports 2015 classified by commodity
|
Commodity |
Total Imports - €000's |
Imports Great Britain - €000's |
Imports Northern Ireland - €000's |
% of Imports Great Britain |
% of Imports Northern Ireland |
|
Food and live animals |
6,686,796 |
2,842,473 |
483,907 |
42.5 |
7.2 |
|
Beverages and tobacco |
876,066 |
305,119 |
32,452 |
34.8 |
3.7 |
|
Crude materials, inedible, except fuels |
854,625 |
162,863 |
59,948 |
19.1 |
7.0 |
|
Mineral fuels, lubricants and related materials |
5,104,270 |
3,140,700 |
33,296 |
61.5 |
0.7 |
|
Animal and vegetables oils, fats and waxes |
244,545 |
45,463 |
17,375 |
18.6 |
7.1 |
|
Chemicals and related products |
13,977,824 |
2,391,244 |
64,523 |
17.1 |
0.5 |
|
Manufactured goods classified chiefly by material |
4,697,709 |
1,796,843 |
127,536 |
38.2 |
2.7 |
|
Machinery and transport equipment |
27,890,812 |
2,963,996 |
89,698 |
10.6 |
0.3 |
|
Miscellaneous manufactured articles |
8,166,076 |
2,443,560 |
75,986 |
29.9 |
0.9 |
|
Commodities and transactions not classified elsewhere |
1,612,285 |
810,744 |
106,622 |
50.3 |
6.6 |
|
Total |
70,111,009 |
16,903,005 |
1,091,343 |
24.1 |
1.6 |
