rtation Ireland

Railways:
total: 3,312 km
broad gauge: 1,947 km 1.600-m gauge (46 km electrified)
narrow gauge: 1,365 km 0.914-m gauge (operated by the Irish Peat
Board to transport peat to power stations and briquetting plants)
(2003)

Highways:
total: 92,500 km
paved: 87,043 km (including 115 km of expressways)
unpaved: 5,457 km (2000 est.)

Waterways:
753 km (pleasure craft only) (2004)

Pipelines:
gas 1,795 km (2004)

Ports and harbors:
Arklow, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Foynes, Galway, Limerick, New Ross,
Waterford

Merchant marine:
total: 35 ships (1,000 GRT or over) 288,401 GRT/383,628 DWT
registered in other countries: 18 (2004 est.)
foreign-owned: Germany 3, Italy 7, Norway 2
by type: bulk 7, cargo 22, chemical tanker 1, container 3, roll
on/roll off 1, short-sea/passenger 1

Airports:
36 (2003 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:
total: 15
over 3,047 m: 1
2,438 to 3,047 m: 1
1,524 to 2,437 m: 4
914 to 1,523 m: 3
under 914 m: 6 (2004 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:
total: 21
914 to 1,523 m: 4
under 914 m: 17 (2004 est.)

Military Ireland

Military branches:
Army (including Naval Service and Air Corps)

Military manpower - military age and obligation:
17 years of age for voluntary military service; enlistees under the
age of 17 can be recruited for specialist positions (2001)

Military manpower - availability:
males age 15-49: 1,029,525 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:
males age 15-49: 827,811 (2004 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:
males: 30,083 (2004 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure:
$700 million (FY00/01)

Military expenditures - percent of GDP:
0.9% (FY00/01)

Transnational Issues Ireland

Disputes - international:
disputes with Iceland, Denmark, and the UK over the Faroe Islands
continental shelf boundary outside 200 nm

Illicit drugs:
transshipment point for and consumer of hashish from North Africa
to the UK and Netherlands and of European-produced synthetic drugs;
minor transshipment point for heroin and cocaine destined for
Western Europe; despite recent legislation, narcotics-related money
laundering using bureaux de change, trusts, shell companies
involving the offshore financial community remains a concern

This page was last updated on 10 February, 2005

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