US policy shifts weighed on Irish consumer confidence
Cost-of-living concerns and US policy shifts weighed on Irish consumer confidence in February, according to the latest Credit Union Consumer Sentiment Survey. The study notes that a spate of announcements of price increases during the month suggest pressure on household finances remains an issue. While it says increased concerns about the implications of policy changes […]
Europe launches plan to bolster clean tech sector, aid ailing industries
The European Commission has today proposed making €100 billion available to support EU-made clean manufacturing, streamlining public procurement processes and simplifying state aid rules to give Europe’s ailing industries a boost. The measures are part of a new Clean Industrial Deal under which the EU executive would provide support for energy-hungry industries that face “high […]
Number of private tenancies rose 7.6% in 2024 – RTB
Despite concerns that landlords are leaving the market, new research from the State body which regulates the rental sector shows the number of registered private tenancies rose by 7.6% last year to 240,964. The Residential Tenancies Board (RTB) also found there was a significant rise in tenancies in properties provided by Approved Housing Bodies which […]
Average weekly earnings up 5.6% to €979.71 in fourth quarter – CSO
Preliminary estimates from the Central Statistics Office for the fourth quarter of last year show that average weekly earnings rose by 5.6% to €979.71 from €927.98 the same time in 2023. The CSO said that average hourly earnings rose by 6.2% to €30.21 from €28.44. Over the five years from 2019 to 2024, average hourly […]
CCPC calls for buyers to get free access to car history
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has launched a report calling for an online portal that would see used car buyers given free access to car-history information, including write-off status and mileage readings. The CCPC said this would allow consumers to more easily access this information and help limit the number of dangerous, clocked, […]
US companies will keep positive view of Ireland even if tariffs imposed – survey
A survey of US companies that are members of the American Chamber of Commerce Ireland shows that 80% of respondents said they would continue to have a positive view of Ireland as an investment location if tariffs were imposed by the US on the EU. According to the study, 90% of respondents said their corporate […]
European car sales drop in January as falling combustion engines outweigh EV gains
New car sales in Europe were down by 2.1% in January, as a jump in fully electric and hybrid-electric car registrations in its main markets was not enough to compensate for falling petrol and diesel sales, industry data showed today. Overall sales in France, Italy, Germany and Britain were down from last year, with only […]
Govt seeks to allocate €50m for cross-border projects
Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Simon Harris will seek Cabinet approval to allocate more than €50m towards cross-border projects. The Government has committed to increasing the Shared Island Fund by a further €1 billion up to 2035. Some €510.4m was allocated from the fund between 2020-2024. Up to €57m will now be set aside for […]
Corporate bosses urge Berlin to quickly move on weak economy
German business leaders have today called on Berlin to form a new government swiftly, saying that Europe’s largest economy could not afford to waste any time as companies suffer from high costs, red tape and rising competition from abroad. The country’s conservative CDU/CSU bloc won Sunday’s national election to pave the way for a coalition […]
Advertised rents rose by 5.7% in 2024 – Daft.ie report
Advertised rents rose by an average of 5.7% last year, according to the latest report by property listings website Daft.ie. The rate of increase is marginally slower than the 6.8% rise recorded in 2023. The average rent on the open market nationally is €1,956 which is 43% higher than before the outbreak of Covid-19 in […]
Rising business costs biggest challenge for 2025 – IHF
Occupancy rates in Irish hotels fell last year, while forward room bookings for 2025 are €100m lower than they were at this stage 12 months ago. Those are the some of the findings of a survey conducted this month by the Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) among 195 of its members. In 2024, its says average […]
350,000 ‘hidden’ remote working jobs in Ireland – report
There are 350,000 office jobs which could be done remotely according to a new report. The research is from Grow Remote, an organisation that promotes remote working and provides training programmes for individuals and employers. The finding are based on analysis of a new Eurofound “Quality of Life in the EU 2024” survey. The data […]
State to attend forum aimed at attracting investment in property sectors
The Irish State is to take part in a major international property conference in France next month in an effort to attract investment into residential construction. Senior officials from the Department of Housing and the Department of Enterprise will be joined by executives from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, the IDA and the Irish property […]
Ireland lacks ambition and leadership on data centres and digital infrastructure – DII
The State needs to take the lead on data centre policy in order to ensure the ongoing strength of the wider digital infrastructure industry here, according to the chair of Digital Infrastructure Ireland. Reacting to the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities proposed rules for new data centres in Ireland, announced earlier this week, Maurice […]
Number of people in employment rises to just under 2.8 million – CSO
The estimated number of people in employment in the fourth quarter of 2024 stood at just under 2.8 million, up 2.6% compared with the previous year, the Central Statistics Office’s latest Labour Force survey reveals. There was a slight quarterly fall in the numbers in employment, which decreased by 18,400, but there was also a […]
IHBA does not believe home completions will increase this year
The Irish Home Builders’ Association (IHBA) has said it does not believe house completions will increase this year. The organisation said this is due to a drop in the number of viable planning permissions combined with a lack of serviced land, infrastructure and funding for apartments. Last year, housing output fell to 30,000 homes, far […]
Positive outlook for commercial property asset types in 2025 – SCSI
A new survey from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland has forecast a 1.4% rise in average prime office rents this year, with capital values rising by 1%. The survey also predicts prime industrial values to rise by 3.2%, with prime rents set to increase by 3.1%. The Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland said this […]
Annual house price growth slows to 8.7% in December – CSO
Residential property prices grew by 8.7% in the year to December, marking a slowdown from a revised 9.6% growth seen in the previous month, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show today. But today’s CSO figures show that average home prices are about €200,000 more expensive than they were just over a decade ago. […]