Billy Kelleher

Cape Clear Island in West Cork, Ireland, has 110 year-round residents.

Life expectancy in Ireland rose from 70 to 83 years over the speaker's lifetime.

Farmers in Ireland have to pay up to €3.50 per sheep for shearing.

Ireland exported 5,895 tonnes of wool worth 14 million in 1984, falling to 5,641 tonnes worth only 6.8 million in 2019.

Ireland catches less than 4% of the fish caught in EU waters.

Ireland holds 12% of the fishing waters of the European Union.

Bluefin tuna is now very prevalent off the coast of Ireland, whereas it was not seen there 50 years ago.

Employment in the Irish fishing sector fell by 15% over the last number of years.

Direct gross value added of the Irish fishing sector decreased by 23% over the last number of years.

90% of the Gaza Strip has been destroyed.

In Ireland, only 5% of adults who experienced sexual violence reported it to the police.

Energy prices have been abnormally high for over four years

The EIB agreed to back a 260 million EUR solar portfolio across Ireland.

The EIB lent 20 million EUR to a Swedish biotechnology company.

Deposits in the European Union are earning on average around 1.6% to 1.8% per annum.

The EIB and the Commission announced a new financing package of more than 600 million EUR to support urgent reconstruction projects in Ukraine.

There is an estimated EUR 13 trillion sitting in deposits in the European Union.

EUR 4.6 billion in goods and services is traded daily between the European Union and the United States

Putin started the war in Ukraine five years ago (from March 2026)

Netanyahu and President Trump are invading Iran as of March 2026

The EU is providing a EUR 90 billion loan to Ukraine for 2026 and 2027

SMEs spend 20% of their overall labour force on complying with regulations.

There is an investment gap of about EUR 800 billion per annum in Europe (Draghi report).

Intra-EU trade between Member States dropped for the first time in a decade according to the Financial Times.