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Thursday, 29 July 2010 |
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IT Contracting in Ireland
Tuesday, 18 March 2003
Introduction
Few would disagree with the fact that Ireland is a wonderful country in which to work and live. To begin with, the success of the Irish economy over the past 5 years has created an unprecedented array of career opportunities.
Over the past decade Ireland has enjoyed remarkable economic success with growth rates four times the EU average. Between 1993 and 1997 alone its economy grew by 40% and in the last three years the economy has grown by an average rate of more than 8% a year. Economic growth in Ireland is forecast to continue at one of the highest rates in Europe for several years to come.
The Ireland of today is a bustling, high-tech, business-friendly country. It has become a hub for technology companies and is the world's second largest software exporter, due in part to an attractive business recruiting policy with tax incentives. As a result, Ireland is enjoying an abundance of excellent employment opportunities.
In addition, Ireland has a renowned international reputation for its vibrant culture, lively yet relaxed atmosphere, friendliness and great quality of living. Dublin, the capital of Ireland, is a busy and thriving economic pool with a population of approximately 1 million.
The Mid West Region is centred on Limerick incorporating the thriving economic hubs of Ennis, Shannon and Tralee. The National Technological Park (Limerick) and the Shannon Industrial Free Zone have been significant contributors in attracting the Worlds top multinationals to base their world-wide or European headquarters in the Mid West.
The Contract Market
Individuals who hold a European Union or European Economic Area (EEA) passport are entitled to work in Ireland and any other member state. Work permits are not required if you fall into this category.
The last few years have seen a surge in growth in the Irish IT market, with hundreds of global players attracted to the 'Emerald Isle' by favourable trading conditions and government initiatives. Ireland may soon become the software capital of Europe, and the demand for IT specialists is as high as ever. Some of the major players now based in Ireland include Compaq, Dell, IBM, Oracle, Intel, Microsoft and a large number of banking and commercial organisations, though the Irish IT scene lost some of its sheen with the withdrawal of the large direct PC vendor Gateway in 2001.
Popular skill sets within the contract market currently include the following:
- Java developers with EJB, JSP, JSDK etc.
- C++ A/P's/Architects on a UNIX platform
- Oracle developers
- Oracle DBA's
- Datawarehousing Consultants
- CRM, i.e. Siebel/ Vantive Consultants
In a general sense, the contract rates paid in Ireland are lower than they are in the City of London and in most of mainland Europe. However, the rates here would perhaps be comparable to regional areas of the UK. Rates are paid in Euros.
IT contractors are actually in such demand that Ms Eugenie Houston, author of the thrice-published employment guide Working and Living in Ireland has written a new book called Go Contracting in Ireland.
There are several online salary surveys available to give you a flavour of what rates you might expect. The best known is Marlborough Group's IT Salary Survey at http://www.marlborough.ie .
There are several others worth a look, such as the September 2001 Salary survey at http://www.cpl.ie/ . More survey findings can also be found at http://www.rescon.ie/ and http://www.goresources.ie/dosh.htm .
One final thing to remember is that rates are now quoted in Euros and not punts (Irish Pounds)! A few sites still quote £ rates, however. The punt was worth less than the pound sterling but uses the same £ symbol, so be sure to clear up any rate ambiguities here!
Living in Ireland
Dublin exudes the style and confidence of any cosmopolitan European capital. Dublin's economic upturn has impacted the city's rapidly changing urban landscape too, with restaurants, cafés, bars and clubs opening in abundance, and Dublin's famous pub scene is now matched by an equally celebrated club scene. On the downside, however, its reputation as one of the party capitals of Europe has attracted droves of "alco-tourists" who arrive in the city for booze-fuelled weekends; they have become such a problem that some areas of the city, such as Temple Bar (dubbed Dublin's 'Left Bank'), have actually banned stag and hen parties.
As with all European capital cities, accommodation is more expensive in Dublin than elsewhere in the country, although on average rented accommodation is cheaper than in London.
The standard of rental accommodation has improved in recent years with the boom in city centre apartment building in the 1990s. Monthly rent will vary depending on the area, the number of bedrooms if the place is furnished. In Dublin, renters can expect to pay from €1000 per month for a small one-bedroom apartment or from €1300 per month for a two-bedroom unit. Outside Dublin prices are lower.
Finding unfurnished rented accommodation is difficult. The best place to look for somewhere to rent is the property pages of Dublin's daily newspaper, the Evening Herald. Available from most newsagents in Dublin, the Evening Herald has listings of houses, flats and apartments to rent and share.
Accommodation might be pricey but the cost of living is actually about 20% cheaper than London, according to Monster - Ireland .
Taxation
You should seek professional tax advice before venturing to Ireland, since should you stay longer that six months, you will be subject to Ireland's relatively harsh tax system. Up until this time, you can legitimately operate through your foreign based company.
The standard rate tax bands have widened for tax year 2001 so the first €28,000 of a single person's total income is taxed at 20 per cent and the remainder at the higher marginal rate of 42 per cent. Under the new tax credit system, allowances are deducted from this initial amount to determine the final tax payment. The Single Person's Allowance is currently €5,210.
Unlike other countries, Ireland does not impose state, city, local or church taxes effectively reducing the amount of overall tax paid. Social security contributions are called Pay Related Social Insurance (PRSI) and are deducted by the employer.
If you are a foreign national working in Ireland liability to PRSI depends on the length of your assignment, country of origin and country in which the employer is located. Nationals of European Economic Areas (EEA) are not liable for this payment in Ireland if they continue to pay social security in their home country.
Please note that the Irish tax year no longer runs from the 6th to 5th April but from 1st January to 31st December.
Travel
Without doubt, the easiest, quickest and cheapest way to get to the Emerald Isle is by air. It takes about 70 minutes to fly from London to Dublin.
Ireland - Recruitment Links
Ireland - Further Links
This article originally appeared on the British contractor's website, Contractor UK.
Roger Gann
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website address correctionThanks very much for including references to my books in your article. Please could you correct the url (the one you're using is no longer in use) to simply www.workingandliving.com thank you! Eugenie Houston, 02/15/2004 06:50:04 AM
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