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IRISH PEOPLE ARE taking more trips abroad according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.
The Household Travel Survey showed that Irish residents took over 1.5 million foreign trips in the fourth quarter of last year – up 9.7% on the same period in 2013.
The UK was the most popular destination for outbound trips with 607,000 trips, followed by Spain with 273,000 and France with 86,000. The average length of stay was 6.7 nights.
Irish residents spent almost €1.2 billion on outbound trips in the three months period, of which €661 million was spent on holidays, €244 million on visiting friends or relatives and €204 million on business trips.
For the whole of 2014 almost 6.7 million outbound trips were undertaken by Irish residents and total expenditure on domestic trips was €1,464 million.
Closer to home
The CSO also found that Irish residents took 1.65 million domestic trips in the fourth quarter of 2014, up 6% compared to the same period in 2013.
People stayed in a hotel for around 743,000 of those domestic trips while staying with family and friends accounted for 665,000 trips.
In the final three months of 2014 the total expenditure on domestic trips amounted to €324 million.
Almost €155 million of this was accounted for by those on holidays, while those visiting friends or relatives spent €89 million.
CEO of Fáilte Ireland Shaun Quinn said, “The CSO figures show that the domestic market remains robust, thanks primarily to the competitive advantage the sector now has in terms of quality and value.
“Fáilte Ireland will be playing its part this year to strengthen this domestic performance through relentless marketing – both traditional and online – of the Discover Ireland brand.”
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So what if he served 48 days , and so what if that was the deal made by the prosecutor. He drugged and raped a 13 year old girl ! Why would you want filth like that back in your Country, no matter how good his films are..
@Blarneykite: you’re literally defending a paedophile.
@Blarneykite: you must be deaf if you cannot hear the calls for Blair and Bush to be tried for war crimes, perhaps selectively so. Anyway, back to your defence of an admitted paedophile.
A predator
“Polanski – the only polish wanted in the USA without a valid visa lol”
While I despise him as a person, polish court was right not to extradite him to the us. US made balls of the investigation and charges and wanted to change it after he served what they deemed at first. Only US court fault. Then still interesting why she wanted withdraw her case from the court, being a victim it sounds weird, who knows what was really between them, maybe consensual sex that turned wrong when he said to her bye bye. (Not that’s right anyway to have sex with 13 years old).
@Tomasz Kuchnik: a 13 year old cannot legally consent to sexual intercourse in the US. Anymore vile excuses for Polanski?
@Tomasz Kuchnik: maybe she’s just sick of this following her around and would like closure. She is now living her life and maybe she has recovered and wants it all to go away and I have a lot of sympathy for that. It must be hard for her.
@Paul Fahey: cannot consent legally, but can consent informally… not? and why are you attacking me I said I despise the man, and just thought that’s one possibility…
@Tomasz Kuchnik: what exactly is “informal consent” by a 13 year old child to sexual intercourse? I find that a most disturbing comment, I really do.
@Paul Fahey: Paul ok I need to explain that to you as for some reason you don’t get it, in 90s in the US first sexual intercourse under 13 years of age have been reported by more than 10% of the teenagers. It has been decreasing since then. So in 70s when this happened, that percentage was likely even bigger than 10% although I have no source for it. How do you know she didn’t want to sleep with him as you seem totally rejecting that version? Rape accusation is oldest trick in a book. Now before you go on holy war with me – I’m not saying this is the case. I’m just interested why you don’t let think it could have been consensual from her side then. Himself as a grown up man should have known better and of course shouldn’t touch her either way.
@Tomasz Kuchnik: you are aware how old Polanski was at the time of these crimes aren’t you? He was not a 13 year old boy having “informal consent” sexual penetrative intercourse with a 13 year old girl. No, he was a 40+ year old man committing statutory rape on a 13 year old girl, consent does not come into it, formal or “informal”. If you think all the US 13 year olds you mention are losing their virginity to 40+ year old man, then you need help. You are defending and making excuses for a paedophile, let that sink in. You may think you are being clever with your words, but most normal people will find them quite disturbing.
Good. Horrible man.
He is a dirtbag.
Jesus Barny.. give it a rest.
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