€46,000 rent increase for Irish ambassador’s UK residence
The Department of Foreign Affairs has been hit with a hike of more than €46,000 on the annual rent it pays for the Irish ambassador’s residence in London. The department said it had little choice but to agree to the sharp increase even though it brought the cost of the property close to €10,000 per […]
Fossil fuels behind 81% of Irish energy use last year
Fossil fuels were Ireland’s primary energy source last year, accounting for 81% of primary energy supply, according to an analysis of global energy data by KPMG. Ireland now ranks 8th globally for wind and solar penetration as a share of total electricity generation however, though the growth in electricity demand outpaces the development of renewables. […]
Trump weighs taking stake in Intel, Bloomberg News reports
The Trump administration is in talks with Intel to have the US government potentially take a stake in the struggling chipmaker, Bloomberg News reported today, citing people familiar with the plan. Such a move would mark another intervention by US President Donald Trump in industries seen as vital to national security. Trump has pushed for […]
Car loan values surge 25% to highest level on record in Q1 – BPFI
New figures out today show that car loan volumes and values reached their highest levels on record in the first quarter of this year. The latest Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) Personal Loans Report shows that the number of car loans rose by 21.5% year on year to 19,552, while the value of these […]
Government expected to hold Budget 2026 on 7 October
Budget Day will take place on Tuesday, 7 October, according to Government sources. Budget 2026 comes against the backdrop of 15% tariffs on goods exported to the US, and threats by US President Donald Trump of even higher tariffs on pharmaceuticals. Last month, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform […]
Mortgage interest rates fall slightly in June
The average interest rate on new mortgages in Ireland fell slightly in June, according to new figures from the Central Bank. The average interest rate on new mortgages was 3.6%, down one basis point from 3.61% in May. The average fixed rate was 3.52%, while the average variable was 4.08%. Despite the downward trend, Ireland […]
UK economy grows by stronger-than-expected 0.3% in Q2
Britain’s economy grew by a faster-than-expected 0.3% in the second quarter of 2025 after growth of 0.7% in the first three months of the year, offering a boost to finance minister Rachel Reeves, official figures showed today. Economists polled by Reuters, as well as the Bank of England, had forecast 0.1% growth in gross domestic […]
How do older employees view age discrimination in the workplace?
What does ageism in the workplace look like? It can be hiring bias, stereotyping, early layoffs, forced retirement, microaggressions or exclusion. Sometimes it’s loud and visible; other times it’s subtle and silent. Unlike many other forms of workplace discrimination, ageism often remains invisible and undiscussed, yet it profoundly affects the lives, careers, and mental well-being […]
US consumer prices increase moderately in July, as data quality concerns rising
US consumer prices increased moderately in July, though rising costs for goods because of import tariffs led to a measure of underlying inflation posting its largest gain in six months. The US consumer price index rose 0.2% last month after gaining 0.3% in June, the Labor Department’s Bureau of Labor Statistics said today. In the […]
64% of SMEs unaffected by crime in past 12 months
64% of Irish SMEs were unaffected by crime in the past 12 months, according to new research by ISME. Of the 36% which did experience crime, 68% were targeted more than once. Anti-social behaviour, vandalism, burglary and phishing attacks were the most common offences. For businesses affected, the costs are considerable with 28% reporting increased […]
Norway wealth fund posts half year $68 billion profit
Norway’s $2 trillion sovereign wealth fund, the world’s largest, posted a 698 billion Norwegian crowns ($68.28 billion) profit for the first half of the year, lifted by strong returns among stocks in the financial industry, it said today. The fund’s overall return for the January-June period was 5.7%, which was 0.05 percentage point lower than […]
Lenders banking on customer apathy on mortgage rates – survey
The latest doddl.ie Mortgage Switching Index suggests that thousands of mortgage holders on variable rates could be paying over 2.25 percentage points more than necessary. Doddl.ie said that despite the return of sub-3% variable rates to the market, many borrowers remain on legacy variable products of up to 5.25%, adding that while fixed rates have […]
Australian central bank cuts key rate, warns of uncertainty
Australia’s central bank cut its key interest rate to its lowest in two years today, but warned global challenges continue to cause uncertainty. The Reserve Bank of Australia cut the cash rate by 25 basis points to 3.6%, citing steady progress in bringing inflation down. “Uncertainty in the world economy remains elevated,” the bank’s monetary […]
Tariffs: Some clarity, but still a lot of uncertainty
After months of negotiations, on again-off again tariffs, delayed implementation dates and threatened higher levies, Donald Trump’s 15% tariff on most imports from the EU to the US took effect at midnight on Thursday. It means many Irish products being exported to the US now face a tariff of 15% with, so far, very few […]
Over €66m unclaimed from Deposit Return Scheme
Irish consumers last year turned their back on €66.7m when they failed to cash in their deposits for drink containers through the Government’s Deposit Return Scheme (DRS). That is according to the 2024 annual report for Re-Turn which shows that the failure by consumers to redeem the €66m worth in deposits for their drink containers […]
Slight rise in home retrofits in first 3 months of year
Almost 12,000 home energy upgrades were carried out in the first three months of the year through Government funded grant schemes. This is up 2% on the number of upgrades carried out during the same period last year. New figures from the Sustainable Energy Authority of Ireland (SEAI) reveal that Government expenditure across all schemes […]
Trump’s higher tariffs hit major US trading partners, sparking defiance and concern
US trade partners such as Switzerland, Brazil and India were still scrambling to get a better deal as President Donald Trump’s higher tariff rates on imports from dozens of countries kicked in, raising the average US import duty to its highest in a century. The US Customs and Border Protection agency began collecting the higher […]
Food prices up almost 5% in 12 months to July
Food prices increased by 4.7% in July when compared to the same month last year, new data from the Central Statistics Office shows. The Consumer Price Index reveals that the average price of two litres of full fat milk jumped by 28 cents in the past year to €2.47, while a pound of butter increased […]