Bank of Ireland announces pilot loan to help homeowners trade down
Bank of Ireland has outlined a new lending initiative that aims to make it easier for homeowners who wish to downsize. The bank plans to pilot the product in early 2026, and it will be open to all homeowners rather than being restricted to existing customers. The loan is part of a broader package of […]
Fiscal watchdog warns Government over short-term budgeting and rising expenditure
Ireland’s independent fiscal watchdog has raised concerns about the Government’s current approach to managing the public finances. The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (Ifac) argues that the State is becoming increasingly reliant on volatile corporation tax receipts while allowing expenditure to grow at a pace that could prove difficult to maintain. According to the council, the […]
EU reaches agreement on strengthened protections against online payment fraud
European Union negotiators have reached a provisional agreement on a new framework aimed at reducing online payment fraud and improving consumer protection. The measures will place greater responsibility on banks and payment service providers, while also introducing new obligations for online platforms. Under the draft rules, payment service providers will be required to reimburse customers […]
Fiscal Watchdog Warns Government Against Short-Term Budgeting
Ireland’s independent fiscal watchdog has raised concerns about the Government’s current approach to public spending, cautioning that a growing reliance on volatile tax receipts is creating long-term risks for the State. According to the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council, strong corporation tax inflows from large multinational firms continue to boost the Exchequer. However, the proportion of […]
Survey Warns Criminals Are Outpacing Businesses and Regulators in Use of AI
A new survey of Ireland’s compliance community suggests that criminal groups are moving far more quickly than businesses or regulators in exploiting artificial intelligence for unlawful activity. According to the Compliance Institute, 77 percent of compliance professionals believe organisations and regulators are falling behind those engaged in cyber crime. A further 20 percent feel criminals […]
Uisce Éireann Fined €20 Million for Falling Short on Leakage Reduction Targets
Ireland’s water regulator has issued a significant financial penalty to Uisce Éireann after the utility failed to meet a key commitment to reduce water leakage across the network. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) had set a target to cut leakage by 176 million litres between 2020 and 2024. According to the regulator’s latest […]
Irish Residential Properties REIT Reports Near Full Occupancy and Strong Market Performance
Irish Residential Properties REIT, one of the largest private landlords in the country, has reported continued strength in its rental portfolio, supported by high occupancy levels and a steady pipeline of asset sales. In its latest trading update covering the three months to the end of September, the company noted that portfolio occupancy reached 99.5 […]
Revolut Reaches 75 Billion Dollars in New Secondary Share Sale
Revolut has announced the completion of a major secondary share sale that places the company at a valuation of 75 billion dollars. This represents a significant uplift on last year’s valuation and reflects the pace at which the digital financial services provider continues to expand. The latest transaction attracted participation from a wide range of […]
Should You Take Advice from a Billionaire?
Public debate often features high-profile comments from influential business figures. Some of these insights can be valuable. Others show how far the lived experience of the ultrarich has drifted from that of ordinary workers, households and SMEs. Many people point to investors such as Warren Buffett who advocate long term thinking, sustainable business models and […]
New ‘Access to Cash’ Law Takes Effect to Protect ATM Availability Nationwide
A new law designed to safeguard public access to cash is set to come into force this week, placing a legal requirement on financial institutions to ensure that an ATM is available within 10 kilometres of the vast majority of homes and businesses across the country. In one of his first actions as Minister for […]
Why Cash Remains Essential in Emergency Planning
Growing international guidance on household emergency preparedness is placing renewed emphasis on the role of cash. Reports that Irish households may soon be advised to keep a small amount of cash at home reflect a broader shift across Europe. The European Central Bank has highlighted that cash is now considered a critical element of national […]
Three Quarters of Businesses Expect Auto Enrolment to Reduce Profits in 2026
A new nationwide survey suggests that most Irish businesses expect pension auto enrolment to place pressure on profitability once the scheme begins in 2026. The research, carried out by FRS Recruitment, indicates that many employers are planning price increases, recruitment freezes or reduced investment to manage the additional cost burden. According to the study, the […]
Sole Applicants Now Account for Almost One Third of First Time Buyer Mortgages, New BPFI Analysis Shows
A growing share of first time buyers are securing mortgages on their own, according to new data from the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI). The organisation’s latest Mortgage Market Profile Report indicates that individual applicants made up 31 percent of first time buyer drawdowns in the year to June. The report highlights a strong […]
Irish Unemployment Rate Rises to Highest Level in Four Years
New labour market data from the Central Statistics Office indicates that unemployment has reached its highest point since 2021. The unemployment rate for people aged 15 to 65 rose to 5.3 percent in the third quarter of the year, compared with 4.5 percent in the same period of 2024. The figures show that 155,400 people […]
Concerns Raised Over Employers Attempting to Undermine New Pension Auto Enrolment Scheme
The Department of Social Protection has issued a warning following reports that some employers are attempting to sidestep the new pension auto enrolment system by pressuring staff into joining less beneficial pension arrangements. The national auto enrolment scheme, known as My Future Fund, is due to begin on 1 January and is expected to bring […]
Why Food Prices Are Rising Again
Recent inflation data from the Central Statistics Office shows that overall annual inflation has climbed to its highest level since March 2024, reaching 2.9 percent. One of the most noticeable increases is in the cost of food and non alcoholic beverages, which has risen by 4.5 percent over the past twelve months. With Christmas approaching, […]
Irish Businesses Urged to Strengthen Online Resilience After Major Cloudflare Outage
A significant global outage at Cloudflare this week caused widespread disruption and highlighted the scale of reliance many organisations have on unseen digital infrastructure. While the company is not widely known outside the technology sector, its services underpin a large proportion of global internet traffic, meaning even a short disruption can have far reaching consequences. […]
ECB Expected to Keep Interest Rates Steady Until 2026 as Economic Conditions Hold Firm
The European Central Bank is widely expected to maintain interest rates at current levels until at least the end of 2026, according to a new Reuters survey of economists. The outlook reflects a steady economic environment across the euro zone, with inflation close to target, growth stable and unemployment at record lows despite uncertainty in […]