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Data shows strong growth in Ireland

23rd September 2004
Page 17
Page 17, 23rd September 2004 — Data shows strong growth in Ireland
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THE LATEST figures from the Irish Central Statistics Office suggest that the country's road haulage industry has grown by more than 220% in 10 years.

But the Irish Road Haulage Association (IRHA) challenges this figure because most of its members have reported more modest growth. Spokesman Jimmy Quinn says: We are not suggesting the statistics are faulty, but they do need forensic examination to get at the truth. We estimate that Irish hauliers have had somewhere between 50-75% growth in business since 1993."

Quinn argues the figures are distorted because they started from a very low base after two very poor years.

He also points out that the survey includes all goods vehicles above two tonnes. which brings "a lot of very small vehicles into play". The figures indicate that the weight of goods carried on Irish roads rose from 80 million tonnes in 1993 to 259 million tonnes last year. The number of Irishregistered goods vehicles rose from 30,669 to more than 81,000 in the same period. Despite Ireland's whole-hearted embracing of the European Union, the vast majority of Irish haulage business is still with the UK, with 89.5% of goods exported from the Republic in Irish-registered trucks destined for the UK.


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