Part 409

Diplomatic representation in the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Dermot A. GALLAGHER (will return to Dublin in July) chancery: 2234 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008 telephone: (202) 462-3939 FAX : (202) 232-5993 consulate(s) general: Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco

Diplomatic representation from the US: chief of mission: Ambassador Jean Kennedy SMITH embassy: 42 Elgin Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin mailing address : use embassy street address telephone: (1) 6688777 FAX: (1) 6689946

Flag description: three equal vertical bands of green (hoist side), white, and orange; similar to the flag of Cote d'Ivoire, which is shorter and has the colors reversed - orange (hoist side), white, and green; also similar to the flag of Italy, which is shorter and has colors of green (hoist side), white, and red

Economy

Economy - overview: The economy is small and trade dependent. Agriculture, once the most important sector, is now dwarfed by industry, which accounts for 38% of GDP, about 80% of exports, and employs 26% of the labor force. Although exports remain the primary engine for Ireland's robust growth, the economy is also benefiting from a rise in consumer spending and recovery in both construction and business investment. Since the 1980s, inflation has fallen sharply and chronic trade deficits have been transformed into annual surpluses. Unemployment remains a serious problem, however, and job creation is the main focus of government policy. To ease unemployment, Dublin aggressively courts foreign investors and recently created a new industrial development agency to aid small indigenous firms.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $59.9 billion (1996 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: 7% (1996 est.)

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $16,800 (1996 est.)

GDP - composition by sector: agriculture: 8.9% industry: 38.6% services: 52.5% (1994)

Inflation rate - consumer price index: 1.8% (1996 est.)

Labor force: total: 1.474 million (1996 est.) by occupation: services 62.3%, manufacturing and construction 26.0%, agriculture, forestry, and fishing 10.6%, utilities 1.1% (1996 est.)

Unemployment rate: 11.9% (April 1996)

Budget: revenues : $22.6 billion expenditures: $23.6 billion, including capital expenditures of $4.3 billion (1995)

Industries: food products, brewing, textiles, clothing, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, machinery, transportation equipment, glass and crystal

Industrial production growth rate: 8.9% (1995 est.)

Electricity - capacity: 3.62 million kW (1994)

Electricity - production: 17.9 billion kWh (1995)

Electricity - consumption per capita: 4,343 kWh (1995 est.)

Agriculture - products: turnips, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, wheat; meat and dairy products

Exports: total value: $43.4 billion (f.o.b., 1995) commodities: chemicals, data processing equipment, industrial machinery, live animals, animal products partners: EU 70% (UK 26%, Germany 14%, France 9%), US 6%

Imports: total value: $32.7 billion (c.i.f., 1995) commodities : food, animal feed, data processing equipment, petroleum and petroleum products, machinery, textiles, clothing partners: EU 58% (UK 37%, Germany 7%, France 4%), US 17%

Debt - external: $17.5 billion (1995)

Economic aid: donor: ODA, $81 million (1993)

Currency: 1 Irish pound (£Ir) = 100 pence

Exchange rates: Irish pounds (£Ir) per US$1 - 0.6123 (January 1997), 0.6248 (1996), 0.6235 (1995), 0.6676 (1994), 0.6816 (1993), 0.5864 (1992)

Fiscal year: calendar year

@Ireland:Communications

Telephones: 900,000 (1987 est.)