Talks on fish quotas resume in Brussels
Talks between EU fisheries ministers to finalise quota arrangements for national fishing fleets for 2024 have resumed in Brussels Talks were suspended last night with firm proposals for most stocks but no political sign off. Irish sources report both positive and negative decisions on some of the stocks important to Ireland’s fishers, and also some […]
Grocery price inflation falls again to 8.6%
Grocery sales are expected to exceed €1.4 billion for the first time ever in December, according to the latest predictions from Kantar. New figures from Kantar today show that take-home grocery sales increased by 7.2% in the four weeks to November 26. Kantar noted that shoppers visited stores more often in November, making an average […]
Retail Ireland predicting extra €1.1bn spend in December
Retailers are predicting an increase in household spending in the run-up to Christmas, despite cost-of-living pressures and the difficult economic backdrop for many. Retail Ireland, the Ibec group representing the sector, is expecting that on average each household in Ireland will spend €1,019 more during December compared to other months of the year. That represents […]
Construction activity falls for fifth month in a row
Construction activity fell in November, new data from BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland has found. The fall in its Construction Total Activity Index is the fifth successive monthly drop. The organisation says respondents blamed a slowdown in the economy, the completion of projects and delays in decision making at clients. Activity slipped in all three […]
Revenue warns of tax implications for planning payments
Revenue has warned of “potentially serious consequences” for people who do not disclose payments they have received as part of the misuse of the planning appeals system. It said payments which influence the planning process may have tax implications, and people are obliged to include them in the appropriate tax return. The statement follows an […]
Stamp duty on health insurance policies reduced
The health insurance regulator has cut the level of stamp duty on all health insurance policies next year. The move should result in around three quarters of consumers paying €18 less for their policies in 2024, provided the saving is passed on to them by their providers, which the Health Insurance Authority (HIA) says they […]
China says exports rise for first time in seven months
Chinese exports rose in November for the first time in seven months, officials said today, as the country navigates a troubled recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the reading compares with a low base from last year when authorities were still wedded to a zero-Covid policy that hammered output and business activity, while a surprise […]
Wind provided 37% of Ireland’s electricity in November
Wind provided 37% of Ireland’s electricity in November, new data shows. The latest report from Wind Energy Ireland reveals that November was the third highest month for wind energy generation this year. The report confirms that wind energy has supplied a third of the country’s electricity in the first 11 months of this year. “These […]
Christmas shopping set to peak on 23 December
Christmas shopping is set to peak on 23 December, new data from AIB shows. Its latest spend trend report shows that 2.8 million card transactions were carried out in shops on that date last year. That was up 84% on the average day in 2022. The busiest time for spending in store was between 12-1pm […]
Around half of companies experienced a cyber incident – survey
Almost half of organisations in Ireland have encountered cyber incidents in the last three years, while one in five have suffered resulting financial loss, according to new research from Microsoft Ireland. The study found that while one-third of companies have experienced a data breach, only 14% have had to report an incident to the National […]
China says exports rise for first time in seven months
Chinese exports rose in November for the first time in seven months, officials said today, as the country navigates a troubled recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic. However, the reading compares with a low base from last year when authorities were still wedded to a zero-Covid policy that hammered output and business activity, while a surprise […]
Gas demand sets new record for the month of November
The last three days of November saw exceptional levels of gas demand, new figures from Gas Networks Ireland show, amid a cold snap which saw a sharp increase in the demand for gas to heat homes and businesses. November 30 and the 28 respectively were the highest two November gas demand days ever recorded with […]
Corporation tax take in November up 27% on last year
Corporation taxes recovered strongly in the month of November, helping the Exchequer to deliver a surplus of €5.4 billion. Just over €6 billion was collected in corporation tax, an increase of €1.3bn – or 27% – on last year. For the past three months, corporation tax has come in lower than government forecasts. But in […]
Highest level of new credit union lending in 14 years
Credit unions affiliated with the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) reported the highest level of new lending since 2009 in the last year, the latest results for the group show. In the 12 months to September, loan values were up by €555m. This brought the total ILCU loan book to €5.3 billion with much […]
Irish savers missing out on up to €3.5 billion in interest a year
New research from price comparison website Bonkers.ie shows that Irish savers are collectively missing out on up to €3.5 billion in interest a year as they are slow to put their money into higher yielding savings accounts. Daragh Cassidy, Head of Communications at Bonkers.ie, is encouraging more Irish savers to move their money into higher […]
Average Christmas spending set to fall 13% this year – CCPC
Consumers expect average expenditure this Christmas to be down 13% compared with last year, according to a survey conducted for the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC). The survey of 1,035 people found the average spend this year will be €1,030, down from €1,186 in 2022. Those with children under 18 will spend more at […]
Growth in service sector picks up in November
The rate of growth in the service sector picked up in November, new figures show. The latest AIB Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) shows the rates of expansion in total activity and new business both accelerated in the month for the first time since April. The index reached 54.2 last month, up from 52.6 in October […]
Jump in retail salaries predicted for next year
Fashion and other non-food retailers in Ireland are increasing salaries by 10%-12% in a bid to secure and retain top-tier talent, according to the Excel Recruitment 2024 Salary Guide. Excel said the pay rises are putting a financial squeeze on the budgets of smaller retailers. According to the guide, some roles in the retail sector […]