Consequently, the whole issue must and is being kept under review to ensure that we are in a strong position to deal with the ageing of the population. 4  BIS Review 6/2005  Conclusion The Irish economy has performed very well over the past decade or so. Our living standards have caught up with those of other advanced countries.
This convergence was telescoped into the past decade, whereas other developed countries raised their living standards over a much more prolonged period since the Second World War. One result of this more concentrated convergence process has been pressure on the country’s infrastructure. This is currently being addressed in a very substantive way, although it is not something that can be done overnight.