FDI inflows to Ireland (PDF) fell sharply from $27 billion in 2003 to $9 billion in 2004. This is largely explained by reduced inward equity investment, which dipped by $5.7 billion in 2004, combined with a sizeable reduction ($8.8 billion) in reinvested earnings. Dutch investment into Ireland exceeded the combined amounts from all other EU countries, although a sizeable proportion of this investment originated in the United States through Dutch affiliates. The stock of inward investment from the US, however, has declined over the last three years and represented 13% of the total at end-2003. This drop is primarily due to some US-owned enterprises (e.g. financial companies) located in Ireland granting loans to their foreign affiliates. Such outflows are reported as negative stock shown under "other capital". In 2001, there was a total of 1,094 affiliates of foreign TNCs in Ireland, with sales worth Irish £60.135 billion in 2000.
National investment profiles are being published online as they become available, based on each country´s reporting schedules. The profiles, which are part of UNCTAD´s World Investment Directory, provide quick electronic access to the latest statistics on foreign direct investment (FDI) and the operations of transnational corporations (TNCs). They also include statistical definitions and sources, a listing of relevant national laws and regulations, information on bilateral and multilateral agreements and a bibliography of the country concerned.
