Sharpest property slump

Ireland registers the sharpest decline in property values in a new ECB study, according to a new economists’ group blog, The Irish Economy, that looks set to give the press a run for its money in terms of diversity of opinion.

Worst pensions performance

Irish pension funds are the worst performers in a 28-country survey OECD survey, the Sunday Tribune reports.

Most dependent on fossil fuels

Ireland is more dependent on fossil fuels for its electricity than any other EU country,  with some of the highest power prices in the union, The Irish Times reports.

A study by Sustainable Energy Ireland, ‘Understanding Electricity and Gas Prices in Ireland’, covering the second half of 2007, outlines the costs of electricity and gas for various domestic, commercial and industrial categories of user. It says that 88 per cent of Irish electricity is generated from fossil fuels, and 60 per cent from oil and gas alone.

Fuel costs at 20% above EU average

Irish fuel prices are up to 20% higher than the EU average, The Irish Times reports.

Only British pay more for child care

Irish parents have to spend a higher proportion of their incomes on child care than any others in Europe, bar the British, The Irish Times reports. And the Irish Government – fond as ever of boasting about the country’s ‘educated population’, is ranked lowest in the EU for spending on child care and early education.  Report

Kids’ cereals have more fat and sugar

Irish kids get more fat and sugar in their breakfast cereals than those elsewhere, even though our cereals boast more health claims, The Irish Times reports, based on an article in Consumer Choice magazine. On average, the cereals tested comprised one third sugar.

World’s most expensive sex

It was so inevitable… Ireland has been listed as the most expensive country in the world in which to buy condoms.

Slightly less corrupt…

Ireland has moved from being the 17th least corrupt nation to the 16th, The Irish Times reports. However, the Transparency International index has Ireland lagging way behind direct competitors for jobs and investment such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Finland and Denmark.

Bottom of the class in education spending

Ireland ranks 30th out of 34 OECD countries in terms of education expenditure as a percentage of GDP, The Irish Times reports.

The Irish Examiner says that the proportion of government wealth allocated to education is still lower than it was in the mid-1990s, despite huge economic growth. Although national wealth more than doubled between 1995 and 2005, the amount of spending from pre-primary to third level only rose by 81%,

Education at a Glance 2008: OECD Indicators

Suckers for high prices

Ireland is the second most expensive country in the EU, with consumers paying over the odds for everyday items including food, electricity, restaurants and phone calls. But we are also among the least likely to complain, reports the Irish Examiner.