CSO: Ireland's unemployment 'sixth highest in EU'

Ireland's GDP fell by 11.3% last year, according to a new progress report by the Central Statistics Office.

In the same year Government debt increased to 64% of GDP, having been just 25% in 2007.

Ireland's employment rate fell below the EU average to leave unemployment in Ireland as the sixth highest in the eurozone.

However, Ireland did measure some positive progress in social terms with our divorce rate the lowest and our fertility rate the highest.