15% rise in motor liability claims by pedestrians in 2024
There was a 15% rise in motor liability claims among pedestrians last year, while motorcyclists account for just 2% of personal injury claims but represent one in ten fatal claims. Those are among the findings from the Injuries Resolution Board’s latest report, which reviews motor liability accidents and claims in Ireland between 2019 and 2024. […]
Energy-related greenhouse gas emissions at lowest level in 30 years
Greenhouse gas emissions from Ireland’s usage of energy are now at their lowest level for more than 30 years after falling for a third consecutive year. The reduction was 1.3% in 2024. This means energy emissions in Ireland are now 11% lower than when carbon emissions targets were introduced in 2021. Director of Research and […]
ECB’s Knot says inflation picture for June meeting still unclear
ECB policymakers will need to get a clearer picture of the effects of US and EU trade policies on inflation before they can decide whether interest rates need to be cut in June, ECB governing council member Klaas Knot said. “I can’t exclude we will decide to have another rate cut in June, but I […]
15% rise in motor liability claims by pedestrians in 2024
There was a 15% rise in motor liability claims among pedestrians last year, while motorcyclists account for just 2% of personal injury claims but represent one in ten fatal claims. Those are among the findings from the Injuries Resolution Board’s latest report, which reviews motor liability accidents and claims in Ireland between 2019 and 2024. […]
Ireland’s ties with US pose ‘notable downward risks’ to economy
Ireland’s deep economic ties to the US pose “notable downward risks” to the economy despite 3.4% GDP growth this year, according to the European Commission’s Spring economic forecast. The report warns that further US tariffs on pharmaceuticals could dampen investment and cause “significant downside risks” with the economy “vulnerable” to further protectionist policies by the […]
National semiconductor strategy targets 34,500 new jobs by 2040
The Government has launched a new national semiconductor strategy which aims to boost employment in the sector by 34,500 jobs by 2024. Semiconductors, sometimes referred to as microchips, are used in everything from smartphones and computers, to the latest quantum computing and AI technology. The semiconductor sector in Ireland currently has more than 130 indigenous […]
Breakthrough in EU-UK post-Brexit reset talks – officials
There has been a breakthrough in last minute talks to secure an agreement on an EU-UK post-Brexit reset, according to EU diplomats. EU member states are shortly expected to adopt a new agreement with the UK ahead of this afternoon’s London summit. Three draft texts have been presented to 27 EU ambassadors following talks between […]
80% of people got news from TV or radio in 2023 – CSO
New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that 79.8% of people said they got information on news and current affairs from TV or radio on a typical day in 2023. This was followed by newspapers/magazines, both in print and online at 77.7%, and social media at 71.2%. The CSO figures form part of the […]
Asking prices for rents move above €2,000 for first time in first quarter – report
Average asking prices for rents nationally rose by 3.4% between January and March of this year, going above €2,000 for the first time, according to the latest report from property website Daft. The findings indicate the latest increase is one of the largest in any three months in the last two decades, with average prices […]
Record personal loans for car, home improvement in 2024
A record €2.5 billion worth of personal loans were drawn down last year. These included loans for cars, home improvement works, holidays and weddings. The figures from Banking and Payments Federation Ireland show that loan values increased by 20% on the previous year, while volumes jumped 13%. In total, almost 230,000 loans were drawn down […]
Euro zone growth downgraded but employment holding up
The euro zone economy grew slower in the first quarter than initially estimated but employment held up well, indicating that the bloc keeps creating jobs despite years of anaemic expansion, data from Eurostat showed today. Gross domestic product in the first three months grew by 0.3%, below an initial estimate for 0.4%, but that was […]
ECB may be nearing end of rate cuts but trade war is a risk, policymaker says
European Central Bank interest rates may be close to bottoming out but uncertainty was high and the environment was prone to sudden changes that could also alter the policy outlook, ECB policymaker Martins Kazaks said today. The ECB has been cutting interest rates quickly over the past year and the debate over where to end […]
New economic indicator shows improvement in Ireland’s competitiveness ranking
New research has shown that Ireland’s international competitiveness ranking would improve if Modified Gross National Income (GNI*) is used as an economic indicator instead of Gross Domestic Product (GDP). GNI* is seen as a more accurate measure of the domestic economy as it excludes much of the impact of the multinational sector. The National Competitiveness […]
Tánaiste in Brussels for EU talks on trade and tariffs
Tánaiste Simon Harris will travel to Brussels for meetings with European Trade Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič and EU trade ministers to discuss trade and tariffs. Mr Harris will hold a bilateral meeting with Commissioner Šefčovič on the margins of the EU Foreign Affairs Council on Trade. There will be a detailed discussion on the European Union’s […]
Average interest rate on new mortgages falls again in March
New figures from the Central Bank show that the average interest rate on new mortgages in Ireland continued to fall to March. The Central Bank said the average interest rate on new Irish mortgage agreements in March eased to 3.77% from 3.79% in February. The equivalent euro area average for March was unchanged at 3.33%, […]
Over 125,000 premises connected under National Broadband Plan
National Broadband Ireland (NBI), the company delivering the Government’s National Broadband Plan (NBP), has announced that over 125,000 premises across Ireland are now connected to its high-speed fibre broadband network. There are now 361,101 homes, farms and businesses that have been passed with NBI fibre out of the current target of 564,000. NBI said the […]
First Home Scheme extended to 2027, with €30m more in funding
The Government has announced an additional €30m in funding and an extension to 2027 for the First Home Scheme (FHS). The scheme is a shared-equity initiative designed to help bridge the funding gap for eligible first-time buyers and other homebuyers between their deposit and mortgage, and the price of their new home. Under the scheme […]
China, US slash sweeping tariffs in trade war climbdown
The United States and China have slashed sweeping tariffs on each others’ goods for 90 days, after a temporary ceasefire in a trade war that roiled global markets and international supply chains. The US and China agreed to drastically lower sky high tariffs in a deal that emerged from pivotal talks at the weekend in […]