Minister to seek Cabinet approval to remove Dublin Airport passenger cap
Minister for Transport Darragh O’Brien is expected to seek Cabinet approval tomorrow to legislate for the removal of Dublin Airport’s 32 million a year passenger cap. It is understood that his memorandum to Government is critical of the DAA, which is charged with operating and developing the airport. The Programme for Government contains a commitment […]
Where do our taxes go and where will they go in future?
Spending money wisely is perhaps one of the most important jobs for any government. In Ireland there are three big expenditure categories which absorb more than half of all taxes collected every year: Social Protection, which accounts for 22% of spending, Health (21%) and Education (10%). Housing, which the Government says is its top priority, […]
Is it good economics to pay €10 million for an NFL match in Dublin?
Thousands of American tourists have come to Dublin this weekend to watch the Pittsburgh Steelers challenge the Minnesota Vikings in Croke Park. It is the first time ever that an official NFL (National Football League) regular season game will take place in Ireland. Ireland has hosted seven college American football games since 2012 but this […]
‘No decisions’ made over carers allowance in Budget – Donohoe
The Minister for Finance has said that “no decisions” have been made on changes to the carers allowance in this year’s budget. Minister Paschal Donohoe said however that “it is a matter that is important to the Government and we are working collectively with regard to that”. He said how the Government supports carers “has […]
Trump threatens 100% tariff on branded pharmaceutical imports
US President Donald Trump has announced a new tariff of 100% on branded pharmaceutical imports from companies that are not building manufacturing plants in the US. On his social media platform Truth Social, President Trump said beginning 1 October, the US will levy a 100% tariff on “any branded or patented pharmaceutical unless a company […]
17% reduction in mortgages approved last month – report
The number of mortgages approved last month was down 17% on the figures for July. The latest Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) Mortgage Approvals Report also shows that there was 2.5% reduction in approvals in August compared to the same month last year. The report shows 4,536 mortgages were approved in August 2025. First-time […]
Trump signs order declaring TikTok sale ready and values it at $14 billion
US President Donald Trump has signed an executive order declaring that his plan to sell Chinese-owned TikTok’s US operations to US and global investors will address the national security requirements in a 2024 law. The new US company will be valued at around $14 billion, Vice President JD Vance said, putting a price tag on […]
Govt warned of ‘damaging’ economic effect of increased Budget spend
The Government has been warned of the danger of overheating the economy with its planned €9.4 billion spending increase in the Budget next month by the Economic and Social Research Institute. The development comes a week after the Central Bank said the additional expenditure in the Budget was “too large”. The ESRI said the Government’s […]
Irish economy is continuing to show ‘resilience’ – Ibec
Ibec says the Irish economy is continuing to show “remarkable momentum and resilience.” In its latest economic outlook, the employers group says investment and consumer demand, in particular, have held up “despite enormous uncertainty about the global trading environment”. It is warning that there are challenges ahead, “driven by a slowing global economic environment and […]
Taoiseach to discuss trade, Ukraine and Gaza in meeting with Canadian PM
The Taoiseach is in Canada for a bilateral meeting with the Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney. The two leaders are expected to discuss trade, Ukraine and Gaza. US President Donald Trump’s tariffs on Canada have cost Canadian exporters five billion dollars so far this year, and have soured relations between the two, as have President […]
How employee ownership trusts allow workers to own their business
Imagine you’re the owner of a successful Irish small and medium-sized enterprises (SME). You’ve built your business over decades and you’re now nearing retirement so the time has come to decide who replaces you. There’s no manager who can afford to buy you out, and no family to succeed you. Your options are limited: sell […]
Cyber attacks impacting consumer trust in online retailers – survey
More than half of Irish consumers would stop buying from an online retailer following a cyber-attack, according to a new survey. Just over a third of shoppers say they would make an informed decision based on the circumstances, while one in ten say they would be willing to return if the retailer resolved the issue […]
No timeline to resolve check-in, baggage issues at T2 after cyber attack – daa
Dublin Airport operator daa has said there is currently no timeline set for a fix to be implemented following a Europe-wide cyber attack last weekend which is impacting check-in and boarding systems at Terminal 2. The issue arose early on Saturday and impacted major airports across Europe, including Heathrow, Brussels and Berlin. In a statement […]
Nvidia to invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI, linking two AI titans
Nvidia will invest up to $100 billion in OpenAI and supply it with data centre chips, the companies said today, marking a tie-up between two of the highest-profile players in the global artificial intelligence race. The move underscores the increasingly overlapping interests of the various tech giants developing advanced AI systems. The deal gives chipmaker […]
Why big business wants you back in the office full-time
Another wave of return-to-office orders made headlines recently. Large technology and media companies, including Microsoft, Paramount and Comcast have joined firms such as Amazon, JPMorgan Chase, Nike, and even the US federal government in announcing policies limiting employees’ opportunities to work remotely. This is not solely an American phenomenon: major Irish banks, including Bank of […]
First winter fuel allowance payments to start this week
The first of this winter’s Fuel Allowance Scheme payments are set to start this week. The means-assessed payment will be paid for 28 weeks to 410,000 households across the state. It is made at the weekly rate of €33 or, if preferred, by way of two instalment payments of €462 each. The scheme was recently […]
Should the Budget reduce the VAT rate for the restaurant sector?
When Budget 2026 is announced on 7 October, it will be the first time the current government will have an opportunity to show the people where its priorities lie when money is on the line. One thing, heavily tipped to happen in this Budget is for restaurants and food-serving businesses to see their VAT rate […]
€12 Budget pension hike rejected as Dept plays hardball
The framing of the budget has stepped up a gear in recent days. The message is already clear that this is going to be a very different set of figures to those of recent years. It will instead be more akin to the conservative offerings unveiled in the period from 2016 to 2020. Prudence and […]