Ireland’s national debt ‘one of the highest in the world’ on a per capita basis
The State took on an additional €33 billion in debt over the two years of the pandemic, according to a new report from the Department of Finance. The national debt stood at €237 billion at the end of last year. This equates to €47,233 for every person in the country and is described in the […]
Doherty calls for new EU ‘fiscal standards’
Sinn Féin’s spokesman on finance Pearse Doherty has said the EU’s fiscal rules need to be replaced by “fiscal standards” which would allow for investment in areas like housing as well as the environment. The fiscal rules were suspended during the pandemic but are due to be reintroduced next year. There is currently a broad […]
Credit unions want bigger chunk of mortgage market
The Irish League of Credit Unions has called on the Minister with Responsibility for Credit Unions, Sean Fleming, to make the necessary regulatory changes to enable credit unions to significantly increase their footprint in the mortgage market. In a statement, the Irish League of Credit Unions said credit unions would like to be in a […]
Gas demand up over 10% in January – GNI
Demand for gas in January was up almost 11% on December’s levels, according to Gas Networks Ireland’s latest gas demand statement. A drop in temperatures and the return of people to schools and offices after the Christmas holidays accounted for much of the increase. Demand was so strong that three days during January were among […]
Jobseekers in the driving seat as labour market tightens
The jobs market is largely cyclical. Highly dependent on the ebb and flow of economic prosperity, the situation generally swings from being in the applicant’s favour to that of the employer. Right now, it’s very much to the former’s advantage. With an economy that has weathered the Covid pandemic better than most had predicted, the […]
Office vacancy rate could move above 10% this year – BNP Paribas Real Estate
The vacancy rate in the Dublin office market stood at 10% last year and could edge higher this year, a report from consultants BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland concludes. 2021 was the weakest year for lettings since 2012, the report found. But the rise in the vacancy rate was contained by relatively modest levels of […]
Land deals of close to €650m struck in 2021 – report
Land deals to the value of €648 million were transacted in 2021, representing growth of 11% on the previous year, a report from property consultants Savills Ireland concluded. Demand for land in prime areas with planning permission in place was described as ‘very strong’, attracting significant bids. Sites without permission have also been performing well, […]
Inflation down to 5% after first monthly drop since 2020
Annual inflation eased to 5% in January from a 20-year high of 5.5% in December after a 0.4% month on month fall marked the first monthly drop in consumer prices for over a year, the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show today. Prices have been rising on an annual basis since April 2021, […]
Number of people in employment exceeds 2.5 million – CSO
The number of people employed in Ireland increased by 10.1% to just over 2.5 million in the year to the fourth quarter of 2021, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office. It the first time the number has exceeded 2.5 million since the CSO data series began. The Labour Force Survey also […]
EU ‘not overly alarmed’ at growing use of crypto-assets
The EU is not overly alarmed at the growing use of crypto-assets, the EU Commissioner for financial services, financial stability and Capital Markets Union has said. But Mairead McGuinness also warned that any new financial instrument that is growing and unregulated can cause enormous problems if “we don’t get to grips with it”. Earlier this […]
Annual home price growth hits 14.4%, highest level in six years – CSO
Residential property prices rose by 14.4% on an annual basis in December, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show. This was up slightly on the 14% annual rate recorded in November and marked the highest annual growth in over six years. Today’s figures show that residential property prices in Dublin rose by 13.1%, while […]
85% jump in online and mobile payments since 2016
131 million online and mobile payments were made in 2021, up 85% on 2016 levels. New figures from Banking and Payments Federation Ireland confirm that digital payments are continuing to rise rapidly, as consumers further reduce their reliance on cash and cheques. The number of digital payments made last year increased by over 10% compared […]
€5m skills plan aims to foster SME, multinational links
A new €5m initiative aimed at fostering greater collaboration between Irish SMEs and global businesses is being launched today. The Innovation Exchange is being launched by Skillnet Ireland in association with the Dublin Business Innovation Centre. The idea of the collaboration is to address the digital skills challenges of multinationals by matching them with indigenous […]
Government urged to begin public sector pay talks by May
The head of the country’s largest public service union has called on the Government to open negotiations on a new public service pay agreement by May at the latest. The General Secretary of Fórsa Kevin Callinan said that the size and timing of any pay deal will need to reflect the rising cost of living […]
Exports hit highest ever level of €165 billion in 2021 – CSO
The value of exported goods from Ireland rose to their highest level ever last year of just over €165 billion, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show today. The CSO figures also show that cross-border trade in goods between Northern Ireland and the Republic has grown dramatically in the first full year since Brexit. […]
Fuel price hikes adding €600 to the cost of running a car each year
The figures from AA Ireland show fuel prices have increased by more than a third in the past two years. Petrol prices at the pumps are now close to the psychologically important €2 a litre mark. In the past two weeks alone prices have jumped around 2c a litre, with the relentless cost increases putting […]
Oil hits seven year highs before easing, as Ukraine hints at concessions
Oil eased today from its highest in more than seven years as Ukraine hinted at possible concessions to Russia that could alleviate tensions between the two countries that Western governments say are on the brink of war. Brent crude rose 5 cents to $94.49 a barrel by 1555 GMT, after touching its highest since October […]
Motor premium history rule may be misleading customers – broker
A requirement for motor insurers to list a customer’s previous five years’ premiums on their renewal notice, which was introduced in an effort to push premiums lower, may be having an unwanted effect. That’s according to online broker, Insuremycars.ie, which claims the change introduced three years ago is leading customers to think they are getting […]