Many official reports, such as the Annual Competitiveness Report 2006 from the National Competitiveness Council, are concerned that Ireland is becoming less competitive. They discuss slowing export and productivity growth, declining employment in manufacturing (apart from chemicals), the increasing cost of doing business in Ireland, and poor infrastructure. They also highlight low levels of expenditure on R & D. Since the late 1990s, there has been a loss in cost competitiveness in Ireland due to a range of factors including increased competition for foreign direct investment (FDI) from other countries, as well as Irish price and wage growth. Ireland must produce more innovative (and therefore higher value) products and services to reverse this trend.
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