Colin Murphy: Leprechaun economics are a very real threat to our national interest

It’s the Double Irish that defines us in the eyes of the world, and this can have unintended consequences

Economist Paul Krugman: coined the term ‘leprechaun economics’ Picture: Getty

The problems with Ireland’s GDP figures are the sting in the tail of 70 years of corporate tax policy. The economic pain may prove to be short-lived, and minor in the context of the gains we have made, but the reputational damage may prove more difficult to shake off.

As John Fitzgerald, research affiliate at the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), said: “As an economist in Europe, people get very cross with you because ...