EU to Remove Duty Exemption on Low-Value Parcels in Response to Surge in Chinese Imports
EU finance ministers have reached political agreement to abolish the long-standing customs duty exemption on low-value goods entering the bloc. At present, items worth less than €150 can be shipped directly to consumers across the EU without attracting import duties, a rule that has become increasingly exploited by high-volume retail platforms such as Temu and […]
Government Defends Decision to Drop Annual Housing Targets in New National Plan
The Government has moved to defend its decision to remove annual delivery targets from its latest housing strategy, arguing that rigid yearly numbers can distract from long-term progress. Minister for Housing James Browne said that data on housing completions will still be published each year, but that fixed annual benchmarks are not always the most […]
Annual Inflation Reaches 19-Month High as Consumer Prices Continue to Rise
Ireland’s annual inflation rate climbed to 2.9% in October, according to new data from the Central Statistics Office. This marks the highest annual reading since March and represents a slight rise from the 2.7% recorded in September. The CSO figures show that the strongest upward pressure came from Education costs, which increased by 8.4% over […]
Local Property Tax Filing Window Closes After Significant Last-Minute Activity
The filing window for the latest Local Property Tax cycle has now closed, following a surge in activity from homeowners eager to update their property valuations on time. Revenue reported a sharp increase in submissions on the final day, with more than 18,000 returns completed by midday ahead of today’s 5.30pm cut-off. Homeowners were required […]
Government’s New National Housing Plan Sparks Mixed Reactions
The Government is preparing to unveil its latest National Housing Plan, a strategy that aims to reshape Ireland’s housing landscape over the next six years. Ministers have described the initiative as an unprecedented investment in housing, although opposition figures remain sceptical about its potential impact. The plan sets out an ambition to deliver 300,000 homes […]
US Government Shutdown Ends Following Major Funding Agreement
The United States has brought an end to the longest federal government shutdown in its history after President Donald Trump approved a new funding bill. The legislation passed through the House of Representatives with a narrow majority and followed a week of tense political negotiations in Washington. The measure reinstates funding for key federal programmes, […]
Corporation tax makes up quarter of Ireland’s tax revenue
The surge in corporation tax over recent years means that it now makes up over a quarter of Ireland’s total tax revenue, according to the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. The organisation said about three quarters of corporation tax is paid by large US multinationals making Ireland’s public finances particularly exposed to changes in US policies. […]
Once more with feeling: Here comes the latest housing plan
The Government will launch its housing plan tomorrow. It will be the fourth in 12 years. The first, called the Social Housing Strategy, was launched by then minister for the environment Alan Kelly in 2014 when the Labour Party was in coalition with Fine Gael. That was followed by Rebuilding Ireland under the then minister […]
Average rents up 4.3% in year to September – Daft report
Market rents in the year to September have risen by 4.3%, according to the latest rental report by Daft.ie. In the third quarter of this year market rents went up by an average of 1.7% , the eighteenth consecutive quarter of rising rents. This means they are now one third higher than their pre-covid levels, […]
Impact of tracker mortgage scandal not consigned to past
It was a time of great excitement for Sonia and Michael Grace when they bought their forever home in Cavan. Back in 2006, this warm and engaging couple were looking forward to building a life together in their new property. They took out a tracker mortgage to fund the purchase and a few years later […]
Scientists call on EU Commission President to withdraw AI comment
More than 70 AI scientists from around the world have written to European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen asking her to retract a statement she made in May that artificial intelligence is expected to approach human reasoning “next year”. The scientists have accused Ms von der Leyen of promoting “AI hype” from tech companies. […]
5 tips to save money on your electricity bill
You are probably tired of the suggestion to switch electricity supplier to save money on your bill, but it is by far the best way to save a meaningful amount of money on your bill. Currently, there is about €800 in price difference between the highest and lowest price offerings from suppliers for the same […]
Central Bank warns over increase in AI ‘deepfake’ scams
The Central Bank has issued a warning about an increase in artificial intelligence (AI) being used to create realistic social media ads and profiles impersonating public or business figures. These “deepfake” ads promote investment platforms or encourage consumers to join online “trading mentorship” groups for advice. The Central Bank said consumers are coached through the […]
Working from home vs office: why it doesn’t have to be a battle
More than five years into the homeworking revolution, a narrative seems to have emerged of employees being hauled back to the office against their will. This contrasts with what Covid taught us: that people can work flexibly, benefit from not commuting, and even work for employers based far from their home – expanding the labour […]
Revenue extends LPT filing deadline to 12th November
Revenue has extended the deadline for Local Property Tax filings by three days, to Wednesday 12th November. It comes as the tax authority says it is seeing “strong engagement” from property owners in recent days, leading to its helpline being overwhelmed this morning. Property owners are required to file updated valuations for their homes to […]
Tesla shareholders approve $1tn pay package for Elon Musk
Tesla shareholders have approved a massive pay package for CEO Elon Musk that could reach $1 trillion. The pay package – crafted to ensure Mr Musk’s continued service to the electric vehicle manufacturer as it pursues breakthrough technology on AI and robotics – won more than 75% support from shareholders, a Tesla official said at […]
Central Bank fines Coinbase Europe €21.5m for anti-money laundering breaches
The Central Bank has fined cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Europe €21.5m for breaching anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing transaction monitoring obligations. The breaches occured between April 2021 and March 2025. Coinbase Europe, which is part of the Coinbase Group, provides crypto asset and wallet services to customers globally to facilitate their use of its trading platform […]
€200m fund set up to restart stalled building projects
The Government has set up a €200m fund to finance infrastructure in an effort to restart stalled building sites. The money will be used to pay for water connections, electricity links and roads for building projects. Speaking to RTÉ News, Minister for Housing James Browne said: “I can think of one piece of land in […]