01803cas a2200241 a 4500 AALejournalIMF017732 230101c9999 xx r poo 0 0eng d 5.00 USD 9781484305539 1934-7685 BD-DhAAL BD-DhAAL International Monetary Fund. European Dept. Ireland : 2017 Article IV Consultation-Press Release; and Staff Report. Washington, D.C. : International Monetary Fund, 2017. 1 online resource (80 pages) IMF Staff Country Reports <strong>Off-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required <strong>On-Campus Access:</strong> No User ID or Password Required Electronic access restricted to authorized BRAC University faculty, staff and students This 2017 Article IV Consultation highlights Ireland' continued position among the euro area's top growth performers. Real GDP expanded by 5.2 percent in 2016, supported by a healthy expansion of private consumption and buoyant investment, including construction. Strong broad-based job creation brought unemployment down to 6.4 percent in May, its lowest level in a decade, while inflation remained low as the recent pickup in energy prices and upward pressure from services were partly offset by the impact of weakness in the British pound. The outlook remains positive, but with substantial, mainly externally driven, downside risks. Real GDP is projected to grow at 3.9 percent in 2017, propelled by strong domestic demand. Mode of access: Internet IMF Staff Country Reports; Country Report ; No. 2017/171 Full text available on IMF http://elibrary.imf.org/view/journals/002/2017/171/002.2017.issue-171-en.xml IMF e-Library