Fall in number of mortgages approved in May – BPFI
New figures from Banking and Payments Federation Ireland show there was a fall in the number of mortgages approved by Ireland’s main banks in May compared to the same time last year. That was driven by a more than 10% fall in approvals for first time buyers, although BPFI said that was in part due […]
Irish household deposits rose by €1.1bn in May
Irish household savings rose by €1.1 billion in May when compared to April, according to data published by the European Central Bank. The increase comes on the back of a €140m dip in savings levels in April, and brings total household deposits to €155.6 billion. “The really important piece of context here which makes all […]
Workers’ incomes set to rise this year and next as wages rise and inflation falls – ESRI
Workers in Ireland should see their incomes rise in real terms both this year and next, due to falling inflation and ongoing increases in wages. The Economic and Social Research Institute is forecasting that on average earnings should rise by more than 4% this year and closer to 5% next year. But this will be […]
Insolvencies up 25% in first half of the year
The number of insolvencies here was 25% higher in the first six months of the year than it was in the same period of 2023, according to two new reports. However, when compared to the first three months of the year, the number of insolvencies between April and June is down 15%. According to data […]
Annual second-hand home prices up by 5.5%
New figures from estate agent Sherry FitzGerald show that the average value of second-hand homes in Ireland saw a 1.8% increase in the second quarter of 2023. Sherry FitzGerald said this contributed to an overall 5.5% increase over the past 12 months, an increase from the 3.4% annual growth rate recorded the same time last […]
New Minister for Finance to be formally appointed in Dáil
The new Minister of Finance Jack Chambers will be formally appointed this afternoon. The Dublin West TD will succeed Michael McGrath, who has been nominated as Ireland’s next European Commissioner. The elevation of Mr Chambers to one of the top posts in Government will take place in the Dáil later. After a vote, he will […]
McGrath nominated as Ireland’s next European Commissioner
Minister for Finance Michael McGrath has been nominated as Ireland’s next European Commissioner. The move was agreed by Government party leaders last night before being formally approved by a meeting of the Cabinet this morning, when Taoiseach Simon Harris presented the nomination to the Government. Mr McGrath has thanked his Cabinet colleagues, saying it was […]
14% of companies using AI to evaluate job applications
14% of companies are using artificial intelligence to evaluate job applications, new data shows. This includes scanning CVs or scoring job candidates to help filter and identify the most suitable candidates based on the job description. The research carried out by recruitment firm Hays Ireland shows that 80% of candidates want to be informed when […]
Annual age related Govt spending to rise by €16bn by 2050
Annual Government spending that is dependent on age will be €16bn higher by 2050 than it is today because of Ireland’s ageing population, new research has found. The analysis, conducted by the Department of Finance, found by the middle of the decade, annual age-related expenditure will have risen from 22% of Modified Gross National Income […]
HSA carried out 10,000 workplace inspections last year
The Health and Safety Authority carried out almost 10,000 proactive workplace inspections last year, according to the authority’s annual report. The HSA conducted 83 investigations into fatal accidents, of which 43 were deemed work-related. Of the 43 work-related fatalities reported, the majority occurred in agriculture, which accounted for 20 deaths, and construction, which accounted for […]
Grocery inflation slows again to reach 2.5%
New figures from Kantar show that grocery inflation stood at 2.5% in the 12 weeks to June 9 – the lowest level of grocery inflation since March 2022 and down from 2.6% in May. Kantar said the slowing inflation rate offers shoppers something of a lifeline in terms of lower prices, but consumers remain on […]
Prices sought for homes are up 6.7% in the second quarter – Daft
Prices sought for homes across the country rose by an average of 3.8% between April and June when compared to the previous quarter, new data from property listings website Daft.ie shows. The rise is the largest quarter-on-quarter gain since mid-2020. The increases brought to €340,398 the average advertised price for a home in Ireland. That […]
Caution urged over copper broadband switch-off
There are calls for careful planning around the switch-off of Ireland’s old copper broadband network amid warnings that many devices are still reliant on the system. Broadband network operator SIRO has conducted an analysis which shows that house and security alarms, medical and security monitors, lifts, landline and emergency phones, car park barriers and retail […]
8 out of 10 employees have used AI in the workplace – survey
Eight out of ten employees have used artificial intelligence in the workplace, according to a new survey. The FRS Recruitment Employment Insights Report shows that almost half of employees believe AI will impact or replace their job in the future, a figure which represents almost double the number who held that view when the same […]
Increased labour needed to drive construction output
An increase in labour capacity in the construction sector may be needed if the number of houses that work has begun on this year are to be delivered. That is according to Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) which says that between January and April, 30,138 units were commenced. That compares with 32,800 in the […]
Irish prices second highest in EU last year
Prices paid by Irish consumers were the second highest in the EU last year, according to new official data. Irish prices were 42% higher than the EU average, according to Eurostat, just behind the 43% recorded in Denmark. Lowest price levels were registered in Bulgaria and Romania, the price comparison survey shows. The data also […]
Ireland slips two places to fourth in world competitiveness rankings
Ireland has dropped two places from last year in a key measure of international competitiveness. The country was ranked fourth of 67 economies examined by the Institute of Management Development (IMD) World Competitiveness Yearbook 2024, down from second last year. However, when compared to countries in the eurozone, Ireland came out on top as the […]
Retailers urged to prepare now for online Christmas shopping – An Post
Is it too early for Irish retailers to start preparing for Christmas? Not according to An Post. It has published its first eCommerce Index which shows that 95% of adults shopped online illustrating the potential for businesses to bolster and expand their ecommerce offering. The period from October to December, is known as the peak […]