Ireland has been ranked 19th out of 183 states on a leading international measure of corruption, published by Transparency International.
States on the 2017 Corruption Perceptions Index that are high-ranking and have more points out of 100 are considered to be the least affected by public-sector corruption.
The Republic gained a single point from its score last year, increasing from 73 to 74 points, but in terms of statistical significance, there were “no grounds” for concluding there has been any notable change between 2016 and 2017, the organisation said.
With its 19th place ranking, the State is perceived to be more corrupt than many of its neighbours and EU-counterparts, such as Denmark, Norway, Sweden and the UK, which all rank in the top ten.
The relatively poor ranking in comparison to other small open economies also places the State at a competitive disadvantage to other jurisdictions perceived to effectively address corruption.
Transparency International Ireland called on the Government to “promote integrity, good governance and higher ethical standards in public life”.
“The Government needs to commit more resources, strengthen legislation and ensure adequate enforcement of the framework of laws in Ireland that help prevent corruption,” it added.
