Economics

Dan O’Brien: Globalisation has given so much to so many despite the naysayers’ claims

Rather than creating a race to the bottom, globalisation has resulted in a race to the top, and few countries have grasped its opportunities as smartly as Ireland

Dublin’s Grand Canal and docklands: despite war in Europe, soaring inflation, deteriorating financing conditions, supply chain disruptions and looming energy shortages, foreign investment continues to flow into the country. Picture: MaxPix

Ireland is a poster child for globalisation. Few countries can more clearly attribute their prosperity to cross-border trade and investment, yet dismantling barriers to doing international business usually brings all sorts of protectionists out of the woodwork.

Members of the Green Party have gone to the courts to try to scupper freer trade between the EU and Canada. A few short years ago, two out of three TDs voted against lowering commercial barriers with Mercosur, ...