Best first half for .ie domain registrations – report
A total of 33,815 new .ie domains were registered in the first six months of 2021, according to the latest .IE Domain Profile Report. That was up 1.6% on the same period last year and marked the best first half-year period on record for new .ie domain registrations, the report from the company that manages […]
Banker accountability rules may take further 18 months, Donohoe says
Regime will require firms to set out who makes decisions and where responsibility lies It may be a further 18 months before long-planned new rules are in place to make it easier for regulators to hold senior managers in banks and other financial firms accountable for failings under their watch, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe […]
Co-operative housing delivers record 454 homes in 2020
The national organisation promoting and developing co-operative housing in Ireland said it delivered 454 homes last year, despite the challenges posed by Covid-19. Co-operative Housing Ireland said that represented an increase of over a fifth on the previous year and that it was a record number of housing deliveries for the organisation. The outcome was […]
Numbers receiving PUP at lowest level since payment was introduced
The number of people receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) is now at its lowest level since the introduction of the Government support in March 2020. There will be 192,296 people receiving the PUP this week, a drop of 9,856 over the past seven days. The largest reduction was in the accommodation and food services […]
75% of home building fund committed to projects
Loan approvals by Home Building Finance Ireland – the Government initiative set up to fund the delivery of new homes – amounted to €539m by the end of the first half of this year. That represented a 36% increase on the €395m total approvals at the end of last year. HBFI has now committed just […]
Mortgage approvals and drawdowns continue to rise
The number of mortgages being approved and drawn down continue to rise, according to the latest figures from Banking and Payment Federation Ireland. In the month of June, 5,203 mortgages were approved, an increase of over 11% on the previous month and a rise of almost 130% on the same month last year. First-time buyers […]
Personal injuries claims numbers see big fall – PIAB
The number of claims made to the Personal Injuries Assessment Board decreased last year, mainly as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic, while there was also a reduction in the level of awards paid out to claimants. The latest annual report by Personal Injuries assessment board – the state body which assesses personal injury compensation […]
5 things you need to know as indoor hospitality reopens
Restaurants, cafés and bars can reopen their doors for indoor eating and drinking today, operating under strict new public health regulations. Operational guidelines for the hospitality industry were updated by Fáilte Ireland last night. While businesses providing indoor hospitality are being asked to implement specified protective measures, customers will also be asked to play their […]
Consumer and business sentiment down slightly in July but still above pre-pandemic level
Consumer and business sentiment, as measured by Bank of Ireland’s Economic Pulse, dipped slightly in July but was well up on the situation a year ago. At 89.3, the headline figure also remained above its pre-pandemic level. The Delta variant of Covid, as well as the delay to the resumption of indoor hospitality may have […]
Contact tracing change to indoor dining regulations – RAI
Indoor dining in restaurants and cafes resumes today for the first time since last December, with many pubs not having opened their doors since March last year when Covid restrictions came into effect. People who are fully vaccinated or who have recovered from Covid-19 in the past six months will be allowed to avail of […]
Consumer confidence dips marginally from June’s high
Irish consumer confidence dipped marginally in July from the two year high recorded in June, according to the latest consumer sentiment index from KBC Bank Ireland. A still uncertain economic outlook coupled with growing inflation fears, together with practical issues around the reopening and increasing nervousness about the Delta variant of Covid-19 are among the […]
Final meetings on indoor dining rules
Final meetings to agree the legal rules for indoor dining will take place this morning. It is hoped the regulations will be published later today followed by the operational guidelines for the hospitality sector. The Attorney General will meet with government officials and Fáilte Ireland this morning to finalise the legal underpinning for the new […]
Permanent TSB agrees potential deal for Ulster Bank loans
Shares in Permanent TSB soared over 15% today after it announced a potential deal worth about €7.6 billion to buy some elements of Ulster Bank’s business here. The lender said it has entered into a non-binding Memorandum of Understanding with Ulster Bank owner NatWest regarding a potential acquisition involving certain elements of the Ulster Bank […]
PUP numbers at lowest level since March 2020
New figures from the Department of Social Protection show that the number of people getting the Pandemic Unemployment Payment are at the lowest level since early March 2020. Just over 202,000 people received the Pandemic Unemployment Payment this week, a decrease of almost 9,700 on last week. The largest reduction – over 3,000 – was […]
Central Bank seeks to end loyalty penalty for car and home insurance customers
The Central Bank has recommended a ban on home and motor insurance customers being charged a loyalty penalty the longer they remain with an insurance provider, a practice known as “price walking”. However, the regulator has stopped short of recommending the outlawing of dual pricing, where new and renewing customers with a similar risk profile […]
Guidelines on indoor dining to be outlined
Government guidelines on how indoor hospitality will operate from Monday are due to be published shortly. The new measures will allow those who are vaccinated against Covid-19, or have recently recovered from the virus, and their children to eat and drink indoors. President Michael D Higgins yesterday signed the Health Amendment Bill into law, paving […]
EU to set up anti money-laundering agency
The EU is to set up a stand-alone agency to crack down on money laundering across Europe where major banks have been hit by a wave of dirty money scandals. Many cases have involved northern countries such as Denmark, Sweden and Finland with a reputation for playing by the rules, but criminal gangs and terrorism […]
No time limits on indoor dining under reopening plans
There will not be any time limits for those allowed to eat and drink inside pubs and restaurants under guidelines agreed with the hospitality sector this evening. Closing time will be set at 11.30pm and an app will be developed by Government to allow business owners to check customers’ Digital Covid Certificates at the door […]