State to attend forum aimed at attracting investment in property sectors
The Irish State is to take part in a major international property conference in France next month in an effort to attract investment into residential construction. Senior officials from the Department of Housing and the Department of Enterprise will be joined by executives from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, the IDA and the Irish property […]
Ireland lacks ambition and leadership on data centres and digital infrastructure – DII
The State needs to take the lead on data centre policy in order to ensure the ongoing strength of the wider digital infrastructure industry here, according to the chair of Digital Infrastructure Ireland. Reacting to the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities proposed rules for new data centres in Ireland, announced earlier this week, Maurice […]
Number of people in employment rises to just under 2.8 million – CSO
The estimated number of people in employment in the fourth quarter of 2024 stood at just under 2.8 million, up 2.6% compared with the previous year, the Central Statistics Office’s latest Labour Force survey reveals. There was a slight quarterly fall in the numbers in employment, which decreased by 18,400, but there was also a […]
IHBA does not believe home completions will increase this year
The Irish Home Builders’ Association (IHBA) has said it does not believe house completions will increase this year. The organisation said this is due to a drop in the number of viable planning permissions combined with a lack of serviced land, infrastructure and funding for apartments. Last year, housing output fell to 30,000 homes, far […]
Positive outlook for commercial property asset types in 2025 – SCSI
A new survey from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland has forecast a 1.4% rise in average prime office rents this year, with capital values rising by 1%. The survey also predicts prime industrial values to rise by 3.2%, with prime rents set to increase by 3.1%. The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland said this […]
Annual house price growth slows to 8.7% in December – CSO
Residential property prices grew by 8.7% in the year to December, marking a slowdown from a revised 9.6% growth seen in the previous month, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show today. But today’s CSO figures show that average home prices are about €200,000 more expensive than they were just over a decade ago. […]
Residential vacancy rate falls to new low of 3.8%
The national residential vacancy rate fell to a new low of 3.8% in the final three months of last year. New figures from GeoDirectory and EY show that the west of Ireland had the highest vacancy rates. Leitrim topped the list at under 12%, followed by Mayo at 10.6% and Roscommon at 10.3%. The lowest […]
€1.5m fund for not-for-profits working in communities
A €1.5 million fund to foster inclusive, resilient communities and strengthen social cohesion across Ireland has been announced. The fund, run by Rethink Ireland, in partnership with law firm Mason Hayes & Curran and the Department of Rural and Community Development, will provide cash grants and business support to not-for-profits working in communities nationwide. The […]
Data centres to be required to make their carbon emissions public
Data centres are going to be required to make public their carbon emissions and use of renewables, under a new draft policy from the regulator responsible for the energy sector. The proposal is part of a decision published by the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) in an effort to provide “clarity” for the sector. […]
Record employment levels in state agency supported firms
New figures show that jobs in client companies of Enterprise Ireland, IDA Ireland and Údarás na Gaeltachta, are now at their highest ever level, at over 546,763 jobs, which is a 1.3% increase on 2023 figures. The Annual Employment Survey 2024 shows there was a fall in job gains last year. Gross job gains for […]
Household spending pace accelerates in January
Bank of Ireland said its customers increased their debit and credit card spending in January, with the pace of household spending growing by 6.1%, up from 4.5% in December. The bank’s consumer spending trends research shows a surge in summer holiday planning, with travel agencies reporting a 50% increase in sales from December, while airline […]
Exports hit record level of €224 billion last year, with exports to US up 34% – CSO
Exports of goods from Ireland to the US surged by 34% last year, driven by a significant rise in pharmaceuticals, the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show. President Donald Trump is examining placing tariffs on drug products sold to the US which could have significant ramifications for manufacturers here. Overall Ireland had an […]
Cabinet to discuss move to allow local authorities zone more land for housing
Local authorities will be able to zone more land for housing under changes to the National Planning Framework which will be discussed by a Cabinet committee later. The Cabinet Committee on Housing will examine immediate Government priorities in advance of the publication of a new comprehensive housing plan later this year. Tomorrow, a move to […]
Grid capacity prevents more wind energy savings
Spending on gas for electricity in Ireland was cut by almost one billion euro last year, as wind energy supplied 32 per cent of Ireland’s electricity. Irish wind farms saved €748 million euro on gas, which would have been predominantly imported, and a further €268 million in carbon credits in Ireland. An additional €213 million […]
EU poll shows strong support for AI protections at work
A new Europe-wide survey shows strong public support for EU action to address the risks and maximise the benefits of artificial intelligence (AI) in the workplace. The European Commission Eurobarometer surveyed 1,006 people in Ireland, as part of 26,400 in total across the EU, about their attitudes to the use of AI and the future […]
Reduced VAT rate should concentrate on food and catering sectors – Donohoe
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has said that the promised VAT reduction for the hospitality sector should be “concentrated on the food and catering” sectors. Sinn Féin Finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty asked whether the rate would drop to 11% or 9% as no number was specified in the Programme for Government. The Minister told the Dáil […]
Euro zone industry shrinks faster than feared in December
Euro zone industrial production shrank by more than expected in December, indicating that the sector’s two-year recession is far from over even if some sentiment and order figures have pointed to bottoming out. Output in the 20 nations sharing the euro was down by 1.1% in December from the previous month, data from Eurostat showed […]
The price of romance on the rise, CSO figures show
New analysis from the Central Statistics Office has found that the cost of a typical St Valentine’s Day gift or night out has increased over the last five years. The CSO said its research was based on a comparison of prices collected in February 2020 and December 2024. It found that while a bottle of […]