Coveney to meet UK’s new Brexit minister Liz Truss
Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney will meet British Foreign Secretary Liz Truss in London this evening. It will be the first opportunity for the ministers to meet in person since Ms Truss took over Brexit responsibilities, as well as the Foreign Secretary role. The two have already held a long virtual meeting, which included […]
Strong growth in Irish advertising market in 2021 – GroupM
The Irish advertising market recovered strongly in 2021 from the pandemic hit to spending in the previous year, according to a report from media investment company, GroupM Ireland. The report captures growth of 20% in the advertising market last year following a decline of 6% in 2020 due to the effects of the onset of […]
Services sector growth slows sharply again in December – PMI
Growth in the country’s service sector slowed sharply for the second successive month in December as firms reported that a rising wave of Covid-19 infections was dampening demand, a survey found today. The AIB IHS Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) dropped to 55.4 from 59.3 in November and 63.4 in October. The index hit a […]
2021 new car registrations up 19% – SIMI
New car registrations for 2021 were up 19%, according to statistics published by the Society of the Irish Motor Industry. Total new car registrations for 2021 finished at 104,932. Registrations were down 10.4% on 2019 figures. New Light Commercial Vehicle registrations in 2021 saw an increase of 32.3% compared to 2020. They were also 13.4% […]
Euro marks 20 eventful years
The euro is today marking 20 years since people began to use the single European currency, overcoming initial doubts, price concerns and a debt crisis to spread across the region. European Commission chief Ursula von der Leyen called the euro “a true symbol for the strength of Europe”. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde described […]
Minimum pricing on alcohol comes into effect
The introduction of minimum pricing on alcohol in Ireland came into force today. The new law will largely affect alcohol sold in off-licences, shops, and supermarkets. A broad breakdown of the new measures shows a standard bottle of wine cannot be sold for less than €7.40 and a can of beer for less than €1.70. […]
House prices at seven times average income as supply dwindles further
Asking prices for property rose by almost 10% in 2021, according to an analysis by the property listings website, myhome.ie. Asking price inflation came in at 7.4% in the capital, but at 10.6% elsewhere around the country. Quarterly prices also rose by 1.3% nationally in the final three months of the year with Dublin asking […]
Government announces expansion of Covid-19 supports
The Government has announced enhanced business support schemes for the hospitality and arts sectors hit by the latest restrictions. This includes reopening the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme to new applicants and a relaxation of the turnover reduction figure for the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme scheme to 40%. There is also an extension of tax warehousing. […]
Donohoe says optimistic about economic recovery in 2022
Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said that the heightened level of pandemic supports will remain in place until the end of January in line with most recent public health restrictions. Paschal Donohoe said the Government will monitor the current level of restrictions on a daily basis, but that the plan is not to change […]
Consumer confidence drops, driven by Covid concerns
Irish consumer confidence dropped again in December, as concerns around Covid-19 and the cost of living intensified. The KBC Bank consumer sentiment index dropped to 74.9 from 83.1 in November – its weakest reading since February, indicating a clear deterioration in the mood of Irish consumers. December saw the third largest monthly fall since the […]
Demand for gas rises as temperatures drop
Demand for gas was up by almost a fifth in November as temperatures plummeted around the country. The usage of gas for domestic purposes was up 16% on the previous month and was up 7% on the same month last year. It comes as consumers are being hit with higher energy costs as inflation impacts […]
Cabinet to discuss changes to Covid business support scheme
The Cabinet will meet this morning where changes to the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) are expected to be discussed. Businesses affected by the latest round of Covid-19 restrictions will be able to avail of the financial supports. The number of businesses that will be able to receive financial assistance is set to be increased […]
Donohoe announces plan to reduce stake in AIB
Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said he intends to sell part of the State’s 71.12% directed shareholding in AIB Group over the next six months. The shares will be sold through a pre-arranged trading plan that will be managed by Merrill Lynch International (“BofA Securities”). BofA Securities was appointed to the role from the Department of […]
Health insurance: Why you should review before you renew
Most of us shop around for the best deal on our car insurance, but when it comes to health insurance we’re not so quick to switch. Changing provider or plan isn’t an easy job, but it is well worth setting aside some time each year to review your options. With almost one million people due […]
Views sought on EU multinational tax reporting law
The Government is seeking views from interested parties on a new EU law intended to make multinationals disclose their tax payments and activities in each member state. Ireland had opposed the so-called country-by-country reporting proposal at an EU level which would force multinationals with revenue over €750m to be more transparent about their tax activities. […]
‘Follow the spirit’ of new Covid guidelines – Holohan
Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has said that the new restrictions beginning today will substantially cut the volume of total social contact across society if people follow “not just the letter but the spirit” of the guidelines. Dr Holohan said that “it is now down to people individually” to confine social engagements to small […]
Profitable firms should refund wage subsidies – Tánaiste
The Tánaiste has told the Dáil that profitable companies “should refund the money they received under the employment wage subsidy scheme”. Taking Leaders’ Questions, Leo Varadkar said that if a company “could pay their shareholders dividends, but they didn’t really need the wage subsidy money, well, I think that money should be repaid.” He was […]
Irish consumers could pay extra €170m in customs duty due to Brexit
Irish consumers could pay as much as €170m in additional customs duty this year as a consequence of Brexit, an analysis suggests. Figures to the end of November show that €465m in customs receipts were recorded by the exchequer. Based on the trend in recent months and the increased consumer spending in the run into […]