Manufacturing use of business services in the two parts of Ireland

This article measures the internal and external use of eleven business services by samples of independent manufacturing firms located in Northern Ireland (NI) and the Republic of Ireland (ROI). The location of open market service suppliers is analysed and the adequacy of the regional service supply infrastructure is examined. Comparisons of service use are made with samples of firms located in Scotland and South East England. The pattern of use of specialist services and the number of firms contracting out or supplying services internally are found to be similar to their counterparts in Great Britain. Differences in the use of services between the two parts of Ireland are highlighted. Analyses show that the Irish location does not constrain the use of services.