Danny McCoy: Protect competitiveness

The Irish economy performed well in 2016, supported by a benign external backdrop of weak inflation, strong UK and US economies and low oil prices.

Growth has remained strong as national debt ratios continue to drop and, crucially, unemployment stays on its downward trajectory.

Domestically, Ireland in 2017 is set to be a story of uncertainty. The economy looks set to grow by nearly 3% in output. While this is not as impressive as recent years, it is still twice the European average.