From a November high of €8,252m, seasonally adjusted exports decreased by 9% to €7,503m in December. Imports increased by 8% to €4,019m, resulting in a 23% decrease in the seasonally adjusted trade surplus to €3,484m.

IDA Ireland: Development site to provide inventory for future development

Sky, Ireland’s most popular digital TV provider, is to create more than 800 new jobs in Dublin over the next two years as it opens a new customer service centre to meet increased service demands from Irish customers. The new centre will open in August 2012 in Burlington Plaza, located in Dublin city centre, and will enable Sky to serve its Irish customers from one dedicated site for the first time.

Trade surplus reaches a high of €4.3b in November. Seasonally adjusted exports increased by 5% to €8,016m in November, while imports decreased by 6% to €3,706m, resulting in a 16% increase in the trade surplus to €4,310m, the highest on record.

The Balance of Payments current account was €850m in surplus in the 3rd quarter of 2011 - down over €300m compared with the surplus for the same quarter in 2010. The decline was mainly due to an increase in the invisibles deficit which went from €8,785m in the third quarter of 2010 to €9,012m in the third quarter this year.

Seasonally adjusted exports decreased by 4% to €7,652m in October, while imports increased by 3% to €3,937m, resulting in an 11% decrease in the trade surplus to €3,715m.

Science Gallery at Trinity College Dublin has been awarded a sweet €1m from Google to develop a Global Science Gallery Network (GSGN).

The Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton TD, announced that his Department’s budget will be broadly maintained in 2012, with current spending at €366million slightly lower than its 2011 allocation but capital spending at a record high of €514million. Over the next two years, the Government will commit approximately €1billion in enterprise capital supports.

Despite the global economic crisis, Ireland remains an attractive location for business and investment. This is due to its low corporation tax rate and administrative barriers. According to the 2011 World Bank and International Finance Corporation report, Ireland ranks ninth out of 183 economies in terms of ease of doing business and fifth in terms of protecting investors.

Seasonally adjusted exports increased by 2% to €7,918m in September, while imports decreased by 5% to €3,805m, resulting in an 11% increase in the trade surplus to €4,113m.