Donohoe to attend Eurogroup and ECOFIN meetings this week
The Minister for Finance and President of the Eurogroup Paschal Donohoe is in Brussels this week to chair the Eurogroup meeting today and attend the Economic and Financial Affairs Council (ECOFIN) meeting tomorrow. At the Eurogroup meeting, Mrr Donohoe will update his colleagues on the latest developments at the recent IMF Spring meetings, including key […]
Senior civil servants to highlight concerns over AI
Senior civil servants are to highlight concerns over the use of artificial intelligence in the public service at the annual conference of the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants. Delegates will gather in Portlaoise to discuss a range of motions put forward by the union’s more than 4,000 managers across 50 branches in the […]
China’s exports top forecasts helped by foreign rush to beat tariffs
China’s exports topped forecasts in April, buoyed by demand for materials from overseas manufacturers who rushed out goods to make the most of US President Donald Trump’s 90-day tariff pause. The fortunes of trade-reliant businesses on both sides of the Pacific now hinge on talks between China and the US taking place in Switzerland this […]
Annual inflation rate rises to 2.2% in April – CSO
New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that annual consumer prices rose to 2.2% in April from 2% a month earlier. The CSO said this marks the second month in a row where inflation has been at, or above, 2%. The CSO also said the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP), which strips out […]
Government publishes new AI guidelines for public service
The Government has published new guidelines for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the public service. The framework advises against the use of free generative AI (GenAI) models. This would include popular chatbot tools like ChatGPT and DeepSeek. “Free GenAI tools are very accessible but because they lack suitable management and oversight pose […]
Faster housing delivery could mitigate impact of tariffs
Faster housing delivery could mitigate the impact of tariffs, according to the latest report from Davy. Updated forecasts from the Department of Finance show that economic growth will slow next year due to US tariffs. Davy believe that this presents a compelling rationale for the Government to use all available levers to accelerate housing and […]
Taoiseach to discuss EU response to US tariffs with von der Leyen
Taoiseach Micheál Martin will meet the President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen in Brussels this morning. His visit coincides with the EU publishing its proposed countermeasures to US tariffs, which would be implemented if it proves impossible to reach a trade deal with the Trump administration. The agenda for this morning’s meeting […]
Motor insurance costs rose by 9% in first half of last year
The average cost of a motor insurance policy increased by 9% (€49) during the first half of last year, when compared with the first six months in 2023. Latest figures from the Central Bank’s National Claims Information Database show that the average premium increased from €567 to €616 over the period. This compares with an […]
US, Chinese officials to hold trade talks in Switzerland
Senior US and Chinese officials will travel to Switzerland later this week to kickstart stalled trade talks following US President Donald Trump’s sweeping tariff rollout, according to statements from both countries. The talks mark the first official public engagement between the world’s two largest economies to resolve a trade war escalated by Mr Trump shortly […]
Tax take to end of April up 15% on same time last year
Tax receipts for the first four months of the year are up 15.3% on the same time last year, the latest Exchequer Returns from the Department of Finance show. Today’s figures show that the tax take reached €28.6 billion at the end of April. When once-off tax revenues from the Apple tax case are excluded, […]
Department of Finance’s economic forecasts to take US tariffs into account
The Department of Finance will publish economic forecasts for Ireland to take account of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration in the United States. The document will be brought to a meeting of the Cabinet and launched by Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe and Minister for Public Expenditure Jack Chambers. The forecasts set out two […]
Enterprise Minister to urge agencies to cut red tape for SMEs
Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke is to meet with the heads of 19 agencies and offices under his remit to instruct them to reflect on their processes and the obligations they put on small businesses. They will be called on to significantly simplify their policies, slash red tape and make any forms or statutory applications […]
Services sector growth slows in April amid trade concerns, PMI shows
Growth in the country’s services sector slowed in April to its lowest level in over a year as international trade tensions weighed on business sentiment, a survey shows today. The AIB Global S&P Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) fell to 52.8 in April from 55.3 in March, still above the 50 level that separates growth from […]
Small and medium firms investing less post pandemic, ESRI report shows
The scarring effects of the pandemic has resulted in small and medium firms investing less in their businesses, according to the Economic and Social Research Institute. It found nearly 60% of enterprises invested in capital in 2023 compared to 64% before the Covid-19. At the same time there was a significant fall in funds allocated […]
New electric car registrations up 25.5% so far this year – SIMI
New figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry show that new car registrations rose by 1.9% in April, while registration of battery electric cars jumped by 23.7%. SIMI said that new car registrations rose to 8,731 in April compared to April last year. Registrations so far this year are up 3.4% to 73,505 […]
China mulls US trade talks offer, warns not to engage in tariff ‘extortion’
Beijing is “evaluating” an offer from Washington to hold talks over US President Donald Trump’s 145% tariffs, China’s Commerce Ministry has said, although it warned the United States not to engage in “extortion and coercion”. Washington and Beijing have been locked in a cat-and-mouse game over tariffs, with both sides unwilling to be seen to […]
Manufacturing growth strongest in April since mid-2022, PMI shows
Growth in the country’s manufacturing sector accelerated in April thanks to a robust expansion in new orders amid signs of stock building due to tariff uncertainty, a survey showed today. The Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 53 from 51.6 in March, the latest report from AIB shows, moving further above the 50 threshold that […]
Euro zone grows quicker than forecast before large trade war hit
The euro zone economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter, starting 2025 on a modestly upbeat note before a trade war with the US, a surging currency and deteriorating business sentiment weaken it, data showed today. The world’s second-largest economic bloc has barely grown over the past several years as businesses held back […]