For the first time since records began, the numbers taking trips abroad were higher than overseas visitors coming into Ireland.
The Central Statistics Office figures show that in the first three months of 2007 Irish residents took 1.575 million trips abroad and spent €1.14 billion in the process.
The figures show there were 1.478 million overseas trips into Ireland in the three months, with these visitors spending 819m.
The CSO said this was the first time since it began its quarterly series in 1990 that this deficit occurred.
Compared to the first three months of 2006 Irish residents took 17% more trips abroad, with trips to continental Europe up 28%.
Trips to Ireland from Great Britain residents fell 6% to 771,000, while trips from residents from other parts of Europe rose 33% to 496,000 - compared to the same three months in 2006.
Meanwhile, there were 6% more overseas visitors to Ireland , with visitors from European countries up 33%.
Trips to Ireland by Canadian and US residents grew 4% to 156,000 compared to the same period last year.
Of these overseas visitors to Ireland, there was a 12% increase in those staying in hotels, a 33% increase in people renting a house or an apartment, and a slight fall back in those staying in guest houses and B&B, with those camping falling to 14,000 from 18,000.
The tourism figures show that 48% of visitors came to Ireland for recreation, while this was the reason 57% of Irish residents took trips abroad.
There was a 2% fall in Irish residents travelling on ferry routes, while 7% more travelled by air compared to the corresponding figure in 2006.
