Ireland

(Embassy in London, June 2004)

General information:
Name: Ireland. Total area of 68,890 sq. km. Capital: Dublin. Population: 3, 9 million (2002). Dublin metropolitan area with a population of 1,1 million. Currency: 1 Irish pound (IEP) = 110,9 Icelandic krona (ISK) (June 2004). Language: English, Irish (Gaeilge)

The Government:
Ireland is a Republic with a parliamentary democracy. The Head of State: Mary McAleese was elected President on October 30, 1997, to succeed Mary Robinson and was inaugurated as the eighth President of Ireland on 11 November 1997. The President is directly elected for a seven-year term and can be re-elected once only. Next elections will be in November 2004. Parliament: The present government came to power after the general election in May 2002 and the cabinet was appointed 7 June 2002. There is currently a Fianna Fail (81 seats) - Progressive Democrat (8 seats) coalition government. The parliament - the "Oireachtas"- consists of the President and two Houses, the Dáil and the Seanad. The Dáil (Lower House) consists of 166 members, elected by voters aged 18 and over on a system of proportional representation for a five year term. The main political parties; Finna Fail (81 seats); Fine Gael (31 seats); Labour (21 seats); Progressive Democrats (PD) (8 seats); Sinn Fein (5 seat); Green Party (6 seats; other parties (14 seats). The Seanad (Upper House) is composed of 60 members, 11 nominated by the Prime Minister, 43 are elected from five panels representing vocational interests and six are elected by the graduates of the National University of Ireland and the University of Dublin (Trinity College). The legislative role of the Seanad is restricted although it can initiate legislation. Prime Minister (The Taoiseach): Mr Bertie Ahern (Fianna Fail). Minister for Foreign Affairs: Mr Brian Cowen (Finnal Fail).

The Economy:
GDP ? m 129,344 (2002). GDP growth: 8.6 % (2002). Unemployment rate: 4.7 % (2003). Inflation rate: 3.8 % (2002).

Trade between Ireland and Iceland: In 2003 exports to Ireland amounted to ISK 342.9 million (0.2 % of Iceland´s exports), while imports from Ireland were ISK 5112.3 million (2.4 % of Iceland´s imports).

Official visits:
President of Iceland, Mr. Ólafur Ragnar Grímsson attended the Special Olympics Summer Games in Ireland 2003, as a guest of honour, and had a meeting with Mary McAleese, President of Ireland.
The President of Ireland, Mrs. Mary Robinsson and Mr. Nicholas Robinson, came to Iceland on a state visit on 28 - 30 May 1996.

Ministerial visits:
Mr. Halldór Ásgrímsson, Iceland´s Foreign Minister, met Mr. Brian Cowen Ireland´s Foreign Minister in February 2004 in Dublin, in relation to the Irish Presidency of the European Union on the first half of 2004.

Foreign Relations:
Iceland and Ireland have extensive bilateral and multilateral relations, through the European Economic Area (EEA), the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), the United Nations and many other international organisations.

Diplomatic Relations:
Iceland appointed its first ambassador to Ireland in 1951.
The Embassy of Iceland in London is accredited to Ireland.
Iceland has one honorary consul in Ireland and Ireland has one
honorary consul in Iceland.
The present Ambassador of Iceland to Ireland is Mr. Sverrir Haukur Gunnlaugsson, who presented
his credentials to the President of Ireland Mrs. Mary McAleese, on 22 May 2003.

In Desember 2003 Iceland and Ireland signed an bilateral agreement on the avoidance of double taxation and the prevention of fiscal evasion with respect to taxes on income and on capital.

Further Information: