Post-Covid ‘balancing act’ the next challenge for business
A new survey shows that 43% of organisations overall reported that absenteeism fell during 2020. This figure was even higher in the public sector at 59%, according to the CIPD Ireland annual HR Practices in Ireland survey, carried out with the Kemmy Business School at University of Limerick. The survey also revealed that while 89% […]
Donohoe defends 10% stamp duty proposal on bulk buying
Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has defended the decision to exempt apartments from the Government’s proposal to introduce a stamp duty charge of 10% on the purchase of ten or more houses. He said the reason it is a house-focused measure is because he is “genuinely convinced” that if apartments were brought into the scheme, […]
Talent exodus could cost business up to €1.2 billion
55% of employees are looking to change roles in either the next six or 12 months or once the economy has strengthened, new research from HR firm Personio shows. Personio has urged businesses to prioritise their people as the country emerges from the pandemic, or risk paying the price. Today’s research finds that while 60% […]
Consumer prices rise for first time since start of pandemic – CSO
The annual rate of consumer inflation rose by 1.1% in April, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office. This marks the first positive annual rate since March of last year. The main factors behind the prices increases last month were higher energy and fuel prices. On an annual basis, petrol is up […]
Donohoe says more must be done to help first time buyers
Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said he appreciates the urgency of Ireland’s housing situation, and he acknowledged that the Government must do more to alleviate the challenges faced by first time buyers. Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Paschal Donohoe said the Government is “absolutely aware and have been for some time of […]
NTMA raises €1.5bn as bond yields creep up again
The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) successfully raised €1.5bn in an auction of benchmark Irish government bonds this morning. The three bonds, maturing in 2031, 2033 and 2050, were all sold with a positive yield, meaning the State will be paying it back with interest. The NTMA has now raised €12bn of its target of between […]
Most businesses plan return of employees to workplaces within three months – Ibec
More than three quarters of businesses are planning to return employees to their workplaces within the next three months if Government guidelines allow, a new survey by the employer’s group Ibec has found. However, four out of every five respondent companies said they will operate a hybrid model of remote and onsite work to a […]
Majority of businesses stable or in growth mode – IntertradeIreland
Nearly two thirds of businesses surveyed by InterTrade Ireland said they are in stable or growth mode, in a further sign that recovery is taking hold. Optimism levels were higher in the Republic of Ireland than in Northern Ireland with 65% of businesses here describing themselves as stable or in growth, compared to 56% of […]
Progress made on internal bank culture but public trust levels remain low
There is ‘a very substantial number of customers’ who believe that banks handle their data securely, according to the chair of the Irish Banking Culture Board. The board launched the findings of two independent surveys of culture and trust levels in banks and the banking sector in Ireland. The survey of bank staff shows progress […]
Claims on health insurance plans fall by almost a third
THERE has been a sharp drop in the number of claims made on health insurance plans due to the pandemic restrictions. The Covid-19 outbreak has also seen the number of people with private health cover rise to 2.3 million, which represents 46pc of the population. An additional 38,000 people took out a health insurance plan […]
Cabinet to discuss proposals to prevent bulk buying of homes
The ministers for Housing and Finance are expected to bring proposals to the Cabinet this morning to prevent the bulk purchase of housing estates by investment funds. Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien is to brief ministers on proposals to issue a circular to local authorities banning them from granting planning for developments of houses and […]
Over 95% of workers support some form of remote working – survey
Over 95% of workers now favour some form of remote working, with fewer than 5% wanting a full-time return to the office, according to the Second Annual National Remote Working Survey. The survey of over 6,400 respondents from both the public and private sectors by NUI Galway and the Western Development Commission reflects a further […]