Meeting 7

Macroeconomic Statistics Liaison Group Meeting
Location: Central Statistics Office, Ardee Road, Rathmines
Date: 22nd March 2018

Attendees:

Annette Hughes (EY), Austin Hughes (KBC), Ciarán Nugent (NERI), Diarmuid Smyth (Central Bank), Justin Flannery (D/Fin), Kevin Timoney (IFAC), Philip Economides (ESRI), Michael Connolly (CSO), Christopher Sibley (CSO), John Sheridan (CSO), Orla McCarthy (CSO), Andy McManus (CSO), Ruth O’Shaughnessy (CSO), Yvonne Hayden (CSO).

Apologies:

Loretta O’Sullivan (BOI), Seamus Coffey (UCC).

Minutes:

1. Andy McManus – a Statistician in the National Accounts Expenditure division – presented a detailed overview of the data sources and methodology used in the compilation of the Personal Consumption of Goods and Services statistics. The statistical treatment of internet purchases, imputed rent, and second-hand cars was discussed in detail.

2. Orla McCarthy – the Senior Statistician responsible for External Trade statistics – presented the data sources and methodology behind a recent publication (Trade by enterprise characteristics 2016), and an ongoing project for publication in the near future (Trade with the UK).

• Trade by enterprise characteristics (TEC) 2016 is a new publication which analyses goods exports and imports data from the point of view of the activity and the size of the enterprises engaged in trade in goods. This publication deals with who is trading rather than what is being traded. The publication covers imports and exports from 2013 to 2016, and gives information on the size profile of trading enterprises based on the number of employees, and by six broad NACE activity categories. For each category the value of trade and the number of enterprises is given.
• Trade with the UK: An administrative data source is being used to quantify the number of enterprises engaged in trading activity with the UK. Currently, there are a large number of small firms below Intrastat reporting thresholds, so no partner country breakdown has been available. 

3. The next meeting will be held after the publication of the National Income and Expenditure Annual Results. Future methodological presentations will cover multifactor productivity measures and the construction sector.