Ireland » Why Invest?

Ireland offers investors a stable, profitable and English speaking base to service world markets. This is why almost 1,000 overseas companies have made Ireland their location of choice. Ireland's competitiveness is based not on Irish tax benefits and costs alone, but on knowledge, innovation, flexibility and connectedness - how everything works together. Ireland has demonstrated the ability to adopt and adapt to change in a unique way that connects innovation, knowledge, people and enterprise to meet the fast-evolving demands of world markets.

Almost 1,000 overseas companies have chosen to invest in Ireland as their European base and are involved in a wide range of activities in sectors as varied as engineering, information communications technologies, pharmaceuticals, medical technologies, financial and international services.

• Ireland is one of the most popular and profitable locations for multinationals wishing to Invest in Europe. (IMD World Competitiveness Report 2005).
• Ireland is one of the most profitable centres for investment in Europe. It provides an English speaking and well-educated work force.
• It also provides one of the lowest corporation rate tax regimes in the EU.
• Ireland is 7 hours flying time from New York, 1 hour from London and 2 hours from Frankfurt. Ireland is on GMT 5 hours ahead of New York, 1 hour behind Paris and 7 hours behind Hong Kong.
• It has an established economy and infrastructure.
• Ireland is a stable parliamentary democracy with a written constitution. Governments are normally elected for 5 year periods. The legal system is based on common law, legislation, the Constitution and EU law.
• Ireland is a member of the EU. As member of the EU, Ireland provides access to a market of over 500 million consumers in 25 countries.
• It is currently estimated that approximately 36.7% of the Irish population are fewer than 25. This compares with the European average of approximately 29%.
• Over 1,200 foreign companies employing in excess of 130,000 people have located in Ireland.
• In recent years, economic growth rates have been consistently among the highest in the OECD averaging 7%.