Mark Henry

Ireland has a highly independent judiciary and courts system. 7-in-10 Irish people agree this is the case. And our system is far more independent than is typical elsewhere in the EU - only 5-in-10 European citizens agree that their system is independent. 🇮🇪⚖️

www.lawsociety.ie/policy-and-l...

The world is more equal than you think Rich and poor consumers are seeing their spending patterns converge

Source: www.economist.com/graphic-deta...

The world became MORE equal over the past 25 years. The share of global consumption of the world's poorest nearly doubled, while that of the richest declined. The shift is driven mostly by gains in low- and middle-income economies as poorer countries grew faster than rich ones.

A beautiful milestone was reached in the EU last year: more electricity was generated by wind and solar than by fossil fuels for the first time. Ireland isn't quite there yet, but we're making good progress so hopefully by 2027 🤞🇮🇪

ember-energy.org/latest-insig...

See the full analysis: www.cso.ie/en/releasesa...

It's wonderful to see a 20% increase in the number of new homes built in Ireland last year 🇮🇪🏘️📈. The 36,284 new dwellings was the highest number since the Statistics Office began counting in 2011. Half were in housing estates, one-third apartments, and the rest one-offs. Good progress, more to do.

Source: www.esri.ie/publications...

Real wages are growing again in Ireland. Wage growth exceeded inflation for 8 of the past 10 years, but not in 2022 & 2023 when high inflation saw our wage packet shrink. For the past 2 years we've been back to real wage increases, and this should continue this year and next 🇮🇪👍

The majority of people in Ireland believe that the government needs to spend more on our military. 58% of us agree with this. Given the increased threat from Russia, we should act quickly to support Europe's freedom and security. 🇮🇪🪖

www.ipsos.com/en/halifax-r...

Ireland is the 5th freest nation in the world. The Atlantic Council assesses 164 nations on economic & political freedom and the rule of law. Ireland places only behind Denmark, Luxembourg, Sweden & Switzerland. That's worth celebrating 🇮🇪👍

freedom-and-prosperity-indexes.atlanticcouncil.org/rankings

Azerbaijan, India, Malawi, Myanmar and Vietnam, according to the Index. However, the Irish can travel to The Gambia and Uganda visa-free but the Japanese need a visa for those.

The Irish passport is one of the world's most powerful. It provides visa-free access to 185 countries and territories, making it the joint 9th most useful passport in the world. 🇮🇪🎉 Ireland's EU membership makes the greatest contribution to our high ranking.

www.henleyglobal.com/passport-ind...

Look at this 👇. For the first time, the majority of new cars sold in Ireland last year were hybrid or fully electric. 6-in-10 of all new cars are newly powered, with diesel- or petrol-only cars in continuing decline. Our transition to cleaner driving is well underway. 🇮🇪👏

www.cso.ie/en/releasesa...

Ireland is the 8th most socially progressive nation in the world, says the new Global Social Progress Index. The country is rated highly as an inclusive and safe society, with strong rights and freedoms, and excellent educational participation. 🇮🇪🎉

www.socialprogress.org/social-progr...

Irish workers are the world's best equipped with the new skills needed for the rapidly changing work environment, according to the IMF. What sets us apart is investment in tertiary education and lifelong learning programs that help workers adapt as technology evolves. 🇮🇪🥇

www.imf.org/en/blogs/art...

Which countries are adopting AI the fastest? Residents of the UAE, Singapore, Norway & Ireland 🇮🇪 are the top AI adopters globally, says Microsoft. Nearly half of the Irish working-age population use AI chatbots monthly, according to their data.

www.economist.com/graphic-deta...

Irish teenagers are among the best in the world at math. Our 15-16 year olds rank 11th out of 80 countries in their average math scores. Asian countries top the ranking, with Estonia, Switzerland, the Netherlands & Ireland performing best in Europe. 🇮🇪👏

www.visualcapitalist.com/ranked-the-b...

Overcrowded housing isn't a big problem in Ireland. Only 5% of Irish people don't have enough rooms for themselves and their families. That's one of the lowest figures in the EU - the Netherlands, Malta & Cyprus are the only nations with less. 🇮🇪🏠

ec.europa.eu/eurostat/en/...

There's huge growth in renewable energy uptake in Irish homes. In just 3 years, the number with solar panels an/or a heat pump more than doubled - from 153,000 dwellings to 323,000! A quarter of all BER-assessed homes now have one or the other. 🇮🇪🏠📈👏

www.cso.ie/en/releasesa...

Did you know? People in wealthier countries are less lonely than those in poorer countries. And wealthier people are less lonely than poorer people in all countries. Economic development strengthens social connections and brings greater happiness. 🌍📈😀

www.economist.com/christmas-sp...

The Telemetry All the news the headlines missed in 2025.

Humanity’s burden of illness and early death down 13% since 2010. Cancer death rates a third lower than 1990s peak. The murder rate declined on every continent this century. 73% of people globally feel safe walking alone at night - highest level ever. And much more fixthenews.com/p/the-teleme...

Happy 2026! Let's hope it's as good as 2025 was for the world. 🌍 There was lots to celebrate. More people are thriving and fewer suffering than ever before. Global unemployment at its lowest level since 1991. Record wheat, rice and soybeans harvests. Extreme poverty falling almost everywhere.

Americans overestimate how many social media users post harmful content Abstract. Americans can become more cynical about the state of society when they see harmful behavior online. Three studies of the American public (n = 1,0

The cited research study academic.oup.com/pnasnexus/ar...

Have a wonderful Christmas break. And maybe a break from social media! Research shows only 3% of social media users post toxic content so ignore the slop you see from such a tiny and unrepresentative group, focus on the positives, and celebrate all you achieved this year. 🥳

Europe sweeps global rankings of the world’s most liveable cities

Report at www.eca-international.com/news/decembe...

Dublin has been crowned the 9th most liveable city in the world! Cities were ranked on factors such as security, political stability, air quality, healthcare, housing availability, infrastructure & recreation. Dublin has its challenges, like every other city, but we should celebrate its positives 🇮🇪🎉

CORRECTION: 3.4% are in arrears for over 90 days. In total, 5.2% of mortgages are in arrears - a decline of c.20% in the past 2 years to reach the lowest level since 2009. Apologies.

The number of Irish people in mortgage arrears on their family homes has fallen to the lowest level since 2009. 3.4% are in arrears - half the figure of just 2 years ago. The strength of Ireland's economy and jobs market helped improve people's circumstances. 🇮🇪🏠

www.centralbank.ie/statistics/d...

Ireland is the 3rd largest exporter of digital services in the world! Only the USA & UK export more. It's thanks to our position as a European hub for major tech firms that create high-skilled jobs and contribute valuable tax income. 🇮🇪🥉

www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-top-d...

Ireland is the 4th freest country in the world according to the new Human Freedom Index 2025. 🇮🇪👏 Irish residents enjoy exceptionally strong freedom of movement, of religion, of relationships, and of expression. Only the Swiss, Danes and New Zealanders rank higher.

www.cato.org/human-freedo...