The very first exchange that was opened in Dublin was established in the year 1793. Today, the Irish Stock Exchange is a major infrastructure in the financial sector of Ireland. The Irish Stock Exchange, also known as the ISE, deals with a vast range of securities that include covered warrants, equities, government bonds, corporate bonds, exchange traded funds, specialist securities and investment funds. The two platforms on which trading is done is the EuroMTS and the ISE Xetra, where trading is done in Government bonds and in equities. The Irish Stock Exchange upholds very strict standards, regulations, rules and qualities that not only protects the market, but the investors and brokers.
The ISE are leaders in the trading of specialist securities and investment funds, which is a sector that is continuously growing in strength. New products, infrastructures, services and efficiency are qualities that are always challenged, to ensure that the ISE remains and continues to develop and improve the capital markets of Ireland. Due to the Irish Stock Exchange being known for its quality products and the strict regulations that are enforced, companies such as Anglo Irish Bank Corporation Plc, Grafton Group Plc, Ovoca Gold Plc, Tesco Plc and the Norkom Group Plc, that are listed on the ISE, can trade on the stock exchange securely and know that their interests are being protected.
The agricultural sector of Ireland is utilized for livestock that produces meat and dairy products, forestry and crops. Cattle farms and dairy, mainly milk, are the most important product producers in the Irish agriculture. Other products include potatoes, barley, mushrooms and sugar beet. In the gross domestic product figures for Ireland, the agricultural sector accounts for approximately 7% of the total. It is also responsible for 10.3 % of employment in the country. The fishing industry is another very important division in the economy of Ireland. Almost 255 000 tons of fish and related products were exported in 1997, with the industry generally averaging 35 000 tons a year. More then 16 000 people are employed by the fishing industry, on either a full time or part time basis.
Within the industrial and manufacturing sectors of Ireland, it is the technology and computer markets that have shown the most growth and contribution towards the export market. International companies are attracted to Ireland due to the highly skilled labor is that associated with this sector, and with the assistance of Industrial Development Agency, or IDA Ireland, these companies employ approximately a 108 000 people and contribute 70% to the export industry. Companies in Ireland that are owned by overseas investors and aided by the IDA Ireland, concentrate mainly on pharmaceuticals, telemarketing, health care, electronics, financial services, data processing and software.
Irelands’ dominant export markets includes the United Kingdom, France,
Italy, Luxembourg, Japan, the United States, Germany, Belgium and the EU. Imported goods are generally received from Germany, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, Italy, Luxembourg, Japan, the EU, the United States and France. The Irish Stock Exchange plays an integral role in the economy of Ireland.
