Report tells Ireland what it knows and that they are cheaper now too

Ireland was the only country in the EU to experience a decrease in inflation between 2008 and 2012 but prices remain high by EU standards, according to the report Measuring Ireland’s Progress 2012 , published by the CSO today. 

Ireland was the fifth most expensive EU state in 2012. However, this represents a considerable improvement on 2008 when Irish prices were the second highest in the EU, at 30% above the EU average.

1st	Luxembourg
2nd	Finland
3rd	Sweden,
4th	Denmark
5th	Ireland

The public balance deficit was the third highest of any EU member state at just over 8% of GDP, 

Government debt increased to 117.4% of GDP, having been at only 44.2% of GDP in 2008. 

The number of new houses and apartments, after peaking at almost 90,000 in 2006, collapsed to 8,488 in 2012, below the level in 1970.

 Ireland’s employment rate was the fifth lowest in the EU, and its unemployment rate was the fifth highest in the EU.