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Subjects · Leaving Cert Business

Leaving Cert Business: State-owned enterprises

How often State-owned enterprises comes up on the Business papers, every year it was asked, and questions to try.

HL Asked on 5 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026.

OL Asked on 2 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2019.

June 2027 is the first exam on the new Business course. These come from the 2016–2026 papers, so read them as a guide.

State-owned enterprises, Higher Level(6 marks)

Quick ones on State-owned enterprises.

(a)Which of these is a State-owned commercial enterprise?
  1. Ryanair
  2. An Post
  3. Kerry Group
(b)The State taking a private firm into public ownership is…
  1. Deregulation
  2. Privatisation
  3. Nationalisation
(c)Removing rules to open a market to competition is…
  1. Deregulation
  2. Protectionism
  3. Nationalisation
Show the answers

(a) An Post

(b) Nationalisation

(c) Deregulation

Your turn: Higher Level questions on State-owned enterprises.

Higher Level

Asked on 5 of the last 10 Higher Level papers, most recently in 2026.

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Section 1 Q4
2025Not asked
2024Not asked
2023Section 3 Q2
2022Not asked
2021Section 1 Q12
2019Not asked
2018Section 1 Q8
2017Section 3 Q2
2016Not asked

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

Ordinary Level

Asked on 2 of the last 10 Ordinary Level papers, most recently in 2019.

Every paper, year by year

YearWhere it came up
2026Not asked
2025Not asked
2024Not asked
2023Not asked
2022Not asked
2021Not asked
2019Section 1 Q15
2018Section 1 Q3
2017Not asked
2016Not asked

Links open the State Examinations Commission’s paper for that year.

More State-owned enterprises questions

State-owned enterprises, 2 marks

Which of these is an Irish state-owned enterprise?

  1. Ryanair
  2. Kerry Group
  3. An Post
Show the answer

An Post

An Post is owned by the State. Ryanair and Kerry Group are public limited companies owned by their shareholders.

State-owned enterprises, 3 marks

Selling a State-owned company to private investors is…

  1. Amalgamation
  2. Privatisation
  3. Nationalisation
Show the answer

Privatisation

The State raises money from the sale and no longer has to fund the company, but it also loses control of it.

State-owned enterprises, 2 marks

A business owned and run by the State is a…

  1. State-owned enterprise
  2. Private limited company
  3. Co-operative
Show the answer

State-owned enterprise

The State provides the capital and appoints the board. Many were set up to provide a service that private firms would not.

Other Business topics

All of Leaving Cert Business