Professional Documents
Culture Documents
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Roll No : 1007al0027
Batch : 2020-2025
Section : A
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REPUBLIC OF IRELAND
Table of Contents
OVERALL ECONOMY AND GDP OF IRELAND..........................................................3
DEMOGRAPHY...................................................................................................................4
HDI of Ireland......................................................................................................................6
EASE OF DOING BUSINESS..............................................................................................7
RESEARCH & DEVELOPMENT (Expenditure on Health and Education)...............8
Ireland’s Expenditure on Education Policy....................................................................9
CULTURAL ASPECTS OF IRELAND..............................................................................10
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Statistics
.m,
DEMOGRAPHY
Ethnic groups:- Irish 82.2%, Irish travellers 0.7%, other white 9.5%, Asian 2.1%,
black 1.4%, other 1.5%, unspecified 2.6% (2016 est.)
Median age: - total: 37.1 years Country comparison to the world: 70th
Male: 36.8 years
Female: 37.5 years (2018 est.)
Sex ratio
Total: - 0.99 male/female
At birth: - 1.057 male/female
Under 15:- 1.07 male/female
15–64 year: - 1.00 male/female
65 and over: - 0.81 male/female
Birth rate
13.8 births/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 137th
Death rate
6.6 deaths/1,000 population (2018 est.) Country comparison to the world: 140th
Nationality
Noun: Irishman (men), Irishwoman (women), Irish (collective plural)
Major ethnic: - Irish 84.5%
Minor ethnic: - Other White: 9.1% (total White: 94.3%), Asian: 1.9%, Black: 1.4%,
other: - 0.9%, Irish Travellers 0.7%, Not Stated: 1.6% (2011)
Religions
The Republic of Ireland is a predominantly Christian country.
Languages
Official: - English, Irish
Spoken:- Irish Sign Language, Shelta, Ulster Scots
English is the most commonly used language, with 84% of the population calling it
their mother tongue. Irish is the first official language of the state, with 11% calling it
their mother tongue. Irish is the main language of the Gaeltacht regions, where 96,628
people live.
Age structure
0–14 years 21.3%
15–64 years 67.0%
65 and over 11.7%
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HDI of Ireland
According to HDI report of 2019 Ireland has been ranked second-highest in the world
By scoring 0.955, for quality of life, according to a new study by the United Nations.
Ireland moves up one place from 2019(is now 2nd), and now only sits behind Norway
Ireland has a life expectancy at birth of 82.3 years, joint-15th of 189 countries in the
world. Hong Kong’s life expectancy at birth of 84.9 years is the highest in the world.
Ireland also ranks eight for expected years of schooling, with 19 years, behind
Belgium in first, which has 19.8 years of expected schooling.
And Ireland also came fifth in terms of wealth, with a gross national income (GNI)
per capita of $68,371, behind Liechtenstein in first with a GNI per capita of $131,032.
Ireland is ranked 24th out of 190 economies in the Ease of Doing Business Rankings, a fall of one
place from 2019; amongst euro area countries, Ireland is ranked 6th, which also represents a fall of
one place from 2019.
• Ireland performed well in relation to aspects of business regulation on paying taxes (4th), protecting
minority investors (13th), and resolving insolvency (19th).
• Areas for improvement are evident in relation to regulations on enforcing contracts (91st),
registering property (60th), and trading across borders (52nd).
• Enhancing Ireland’s competitiveness in these areas is crucial if we are to strengthen our resilience to
shocks, particularly in the context of Brexit.
Overall, Ireland is ranked 24th – a decline of one place from 2019. Within the euro area,
Ireland is ranked 6th, also a fall of one position. This places Ireland behind Lithuania,
Estonia, Latvia, Finland and Germany, but ahead of many comparator countries including
Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands and Belgium. Ireland is ranked 9th in the EU – a fall of
one position.
Ireland’s overall ‘Ease of Doing Business’ score has improved since last year. This is a
positive reflection of the business environment.
In terms of rankings, Ireland remains a top performer for paying taxes (4th), protecting
minority investors (13th), and resolving insolvency (19th). Ireland’s rankings have improved
for the protecting minority investors and enforcing contracts indicators, while Ireland’s
rankings have remained the same for paying taxes (4th) and trading across borders (52nd).
In five of the ten ‘Ease of Doing Business’ indictors, Ireland’s ranking has fallen. This is
largely due to marginal gains made by other countries rather than a decline in Ireland’s
performance.
IMPROVEMENT REQUIRED
Improvement is also required in relation to starting a business - the report notes that the
numbers of days to start a business in Ireland has increased from 5 days to 11 days. Similarly,
in the case of dealing with construction permits, it now takes 14.5 days longer compared to
2019. As these numbers are based on the World Bank’s reading of legislation and inputs from
experts, it is not possible to examine this indicator in any further detail
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Ireland is one of the leading Research, Development and Innovation (RDI) locations in the
world. It offers the ideal commercial, political and social environment for companies to carry
out successful and profitable RDI activities. This has attracted global leaders in key high-tech
industries to undertake RDI projects in areas such as Pharmaceuticals, Bio Technology,
Medical Devices, ICT and Financial Services.
Ireland is 11th in global scientific ranking for overall quality of scientific research, an
impressive upward trajectory from a position of 48th just 13 years ago.
IDA Ireland plays a leading role in RDI development by providing funding support for
suitable projects. It also identifies support opportunities from partner organisations, such as
Enterprise Ireland, Science Foundation Ireland and Sustainable Energy Authority Ireland.
CENTRES OF EXCELLENCE
Multiple research centres are located throughout Ireland focusing on RDI projects for specific
key industry sectors. These range from ICT to Nanotechnology and Marine Science. They
include:
The HSE budget for 2021 will see an increase of €3.5bn bring the total budget to
€20,623bn as the healthcare system continues to reckon with the Covid-19 pandemic.
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Around half of this increase (€1.68bn) will go towards Covid-19 spending while the
remaining €1.8bn will go towards non-Covid care.
The plan provides for 16,000 additional staff including 1,100 medical and dental staff,
more than 3,500 nurses and midwives and 4,000 health and social care professionals.
The most striking feature of investment in education in Ireland relative to other OECD
countries is its under-investment in early childhood education. Ireland spends just under 0.2
per cent of GDP (0.25 per cent of GNI*) on pre-primary education compared to an OECD
average of 0.8 per cent of GDP. Early childhood is the stage where education can most
effectively influence the development of children and help reverse disadvantage. Government
should increase investment in ECCE to meet the OECDh average by 2023.
Ireland’s class sizes have long been above the European average, particularly at primary level
where the average class size is 25 (the EU average is 20). As smaller class sizes make the
biggest difference to the youngest classes, Government policy must ensure that the
Pupil/Teacher Ratio (PTR) in the youngest classes in primary school is at a level which
allows teachers to provide early interventions without disruption. This is vital to ensure the
best educational outcomes for all children and a smooth transition from early years settings to
the formal education system.
Building on the initiatives set out in the Programme for Government, the budget for
the Department of Education will be €8.9 billion in 2021, an increase of €410 million
or some 5 five per cent on 2020. DEIS schools and all primary and post-primary
schools benefit from new investment
This increase is additional to the significant financial supports already being provided
to support schools in remaining open during the Covid-19 crisis.
Continued capital investment to build new schools to meet growing demand to
improve existing schools.
€2 billion will be invested in special education – over one-fifth of the education
budget.
235 new teachers will be recruited to work in special classes in our schools while
another 23 teachers will be hired for special schools.
An additional 145 special education teachers will be recruited.
These investments will ensure more than 1,200 new places in special classes.
Budget 2021 investment includes a capital allocation for new and more energy-
efficient school buildings with a €740 million budget for 2021 under Project Ireland
2040.
An additional €15 million will be invested in the school transport system to provide
for growing numbers of school children and the requirements of children with special
educational needs. This is in addition to financial supports being put in place to meet
the Covid-19 public health requirements.
The culture of Ireland includes language, literature, music, art, folklore, cuisine, and sport
associated with Ireland and the Irish people. For most of its recorded history, Irish culture has
been primarily Gaelic (see Gaelic Ireland). It has also been influenced by Anglo-Norman,
English and Scottish culture.
The pagan festival of Imbolc marks the beginning of spring, and Bealtaine, the
beginning of summer. Lughnasadh heralds autumn, while Samhain welcomes winter.
Today, these pagan festivals are still celebrated by many and are greatly attributed to
Irish traditions.
2. The pilgrimage of Croagh Patrick – for religious folk
Every year, thousands of people make the arduous, yet pious, journey to the
peak of Croagh Patrick.
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Mythology plays a key role in Irish culture. Indeed, Ireland is known as a mystic
country laden with legends and tall tales of fairies and leprechauns, goddesses and
heroes.
Ancient folklore remains today a celebrated aspect of Irish traditions and has
emboldened cultural identity throughout history. It’s one of the biggest Irish customs.
Guinness plays a lead role in the pub scene and is one of the top undisputed
Irish customs in itself.
8. Saint Patrick’s Day – the annual, global celebration
Each year, millions of people around the globe come together on the 17th of
March to celebrate Saint Patrick’s Day. It’s truly one of the top traditions in
Ireland.
As Ireland’s annual holiday, the day in question celebrates national culture, and its
global observance is a humbling reminder of the impact of the culture of Ireland
across the world.