Ireland heads GDP (Gross Domestic
Product) per capita in the European Union, according to figures released on
Friday June 3rd. In ranking terms Luxembourg is number 1, but its figures are
distorted, as a large portion of its workforce lives in neighbouring
countries.
In 2003, Ireland was the biggest per
capita net beneficiary from the EU budget while the Netherlands was the biggest
net payer.
Anthony Coughlan has been consistent at
least in one way since he first campaigned against the referendum on Ireland's
entry to the then European Community in 1972. He is still against the European
project and was on the radio this week gloating over a scenario where the euro
collapses.
The renowned economist John Maynard
Keynes caustically retorted when challenged on changing his position on an
issue: When the facts change, I change my mind. What do you do sir? From
his cosy perch in Trinity College, the former sociology lecturer has fulminated
for years against Europe despite the obvious benefit that the European Community
and later the European Union brought to the Irish economy. Coughlan appears to
be so obsessed to prove his 1972 position that the reality is just shut out.
In 1972 Coughlan warned the small
relatively high paid group of skilled workers that German and Dutch tradesmen
would take their jobs. What a threat to Ireland! Skilled people coming to our
then poverty stricken backwater! In the referendum on the Nice Treaty, Coughlan
warned against the threat of low-paid Eastern Europeans taking Irish jobs. The end of Soviet tyranny in Eastern
Europe was even a reason to rejoice.
While Couglan hasn't changed, there has
been a marked change in the attitude of Irish politicians to the European
project.
In the early years, Irish politicians
spoke as one about the obligation of the "rich countries to help the poor
countries on the Western periphery."
That tune has changed with our recent
rise to the top of the EU wealth league, even though we are still net
beneficiaries of the European Union's budget.
Source:
Why
Ireland Boomed by Professor James B. Burnham
As the debate rages about economic
reform in countries such as France and Germany and the fear that "Anglo-Saxon"
market changes would replace the European social model of State guarantees and
protections, Ireland is in the currrently fortunate position of having the best
of both worlds.
Ireland has massively benefited from
inward US investment, by providing a low tax, business friendly non-unionised
environment for primarily American firms. At the same time Dutch and German
taxpayers are funding our farmers who are effectively depending on public
welfare for two-thirds of their income.
So while the Tαnaiste (Deputy Prime
Minister) Mary Harney can brag that Ireland is closer to Boston and Berlin, we
have been lucky so far that the taxpayers in Berlin haven't reacted to our
continued cash benefits from the EU treasure trove.
The Dutch taxpayers are at last waking
up to a reality that they are the highest per capita contributors to the EU
budget while Ireland is the highest net beneficiary.
Earlier this month, the
European Commission issued an analysis of the 2003 budget. In
absolute terms, most of the funds went to recipients in Spain, France, Italy and
Germany. However, on the basis of national income, Portugal and Greece were the
main recipients, followed by Ireland and Spain. Among net recipients, the net
balance the difference between payments into the EU budget and returns in the
form of operational expenditure was highest for Portugal (2.66% of GNI-Gross
National Income). Among net contributors, the balance was highest for the
Netherlands (-0.43% of GNI), followed by Germany and Sweden.
Only four countries benefited from EU
money in 2003- Portugal, Greece, Ireland and Spain - while the rest were net
contributors. In terms of cash per head, the funding amounted to a net receipt
of 391.70 for each Irish national. At the other of the scale, Dutch,
Luxembourg and German nationals pay 120, 125 and 92.7 respectively, while
each Briton pays 46.50.
|
Statistics on
Ireland's Net EU
Receipts |
|
Year |
Receipts from EU
budgets
( m) |
Payments to EU
budgets
( m) |
Net EU receipts
(
m) |
% of
GDP/GNI |
|
2004 |
2,813.9 |
1,220.1 |
1593.8 |
1.3% |
|
2003 |
2,690.8 |
1,130.7 |
1,560.1 |
1.4% |
|
2002 |
2,545.0 |
1100.0 |
1,445.0 |
1.5% |
|
2001 |
2,488.8 |
1,220.0 |
1,265.3 |
1.15% |
|
2000 |
2,602.1 |
1,075.0 |
1,527.1 |
1.9% |
|
1999 |
2,678.9 |
1,050.9 |
1,628.0 |
1.9% |
|
1998 |
3,015.9 |
989.4 |
2,026.5 |
2.9% |
|
1997 |
3,179.9 |
652.0 |
2,527.9 |
3.4% |
|
1996 |
2,818.2 |
687.1 |
2,131.1 |
3.8% |
|
1995 |
2,568.9 |
689.2 |
1,879.7 |
4.0% |
|
1994 |
2,338.1 |
641.9 |
1,696.2 |
3.8% |
|
1993 |
2,850.9 |
575.8 |
2,275.1 |
3.8% |
|
1992 |
2,531.9 |
448.7 |
2,083.1 |
5.5% |
|
1991 |
2,794.9 |
442.1 |
2,352.8 |
5.5% |
|
1990 |
2,210.6 |
359.2 |
1,851.4 |
5.4% |
|
1989 |
1,644.7 |
362.6 |
1,282.1 |
4.0% |
|
1988 |
1,474.9 |
314.6 |
1,160.3 |
4.0% |
|
1987 |
1,397.1 |
324.0 |
1,073.1 |
4.0% |
|
1986 |
1,455.9 |
305.1 |
1,150.8 |
4.6% |
|
1985 |
1,433.2 |
270.8 |
1,162.3 |
4.9% |
|
1984 |
1,100.5 |
257.1 |
843.4 |
4.0% |
|
1983 |
924.0 |
234.5 |
689.5 |
3.6% |
|
1982 |
764.4 |
173.6 |
590.9 |
3.5% |
|
1981 |
643.6 |
133.8 |
509.7 |
3.5% |
|
1980 |
711.8 |
112.9 |
598.9 |
5.0% |
|
1979 |
671.8 |
76.9 |
594.9 |
5.9% |
|
1978 |
520.8 |
58.5 |
462.3 |
5.4% |
|
1977 |
346.5 |
|
