Archive for September 2021

Family run businesses employ nearly 1 million people in Ireland – and collectively are one of the biggest employers in the country. The National Family Business Sentiment Report 2021 shows that they want to employ more people. Eight out of 10 family businesses hope to hire new employees in the coming 12 months if there…

Most investors are ‘going digital’, with new research revealing that 56% of those surveyed make investments online. The survey commissioned by the Competition & Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) reveals that almost 80% said they invest for better long-term returns on their money. Meanwhile, almost half were motivated to invest due to current low interest rates.…

Residential property prices rose on an annual basis by 8.6% – the fastest annual pace in three years – in July, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office. The figures also show that the number of property transactions is now back to pre-pandemic levels. Today’s figures from the CSO show not only…

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has said the economy is recovering ‘swiftly’ but government spending plans for the upcoming Budget are “at the limit of what is prudent”. In its pre-Budget Statement, published today, the budgetary watchdog also warns there is a one-in-four risk that government debt could end up on an unsustainable path. The…

Earlier this month, Housing Minister Darragh O’Brien told Prime Time that the Government’s proposed shared equity scheme, a core part of the recently published Housing For All plan, had been approved by the Central Bank. But the Central Bank has indicated that the scheme, which could see the State paying up to 30% of the…

The Central Bank has approved a new fund that will facilitate credit unions to get involved in the delivery of social and affordable housing around the country. The Credit Union Approved Housing Body Fund will oversee up to €800 million investment in social and affordable homes with an initial €200 million being deployed over the…

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has said the Government should abandon its plans for tax cuts in the upcoming Budget and instead prioritise increases in public expenditure on housing, healthcare and childcare. In its pre-budget submission, ICTU says permanent tax cuts are unaffordable and unjustified. ICTU says the pandemic has shown that basic…

Nearly half of all college students say they struggle to afford living expenses, according to a survey carried out by the Irish League of Credit Unions (ILCU) and youth website Spunout. The findings show that 88% worry about money, while over 40% stress about money all of the time. Finding and keeping a job, travel…

The Minister for Finance has said that forecasts now indicate the country will get back to pre-pandemic levels of employment and broader economic performance by around 2023, but he is increasingly hopeful progress could be quicker. Paschal Donohoe also said the country has made enormous progress with its economic and public health since March of…

The construction sector reported another month of rapid growth in August, the latest Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers Index shows, as it continued to benefit from improvements in demand after the reopening of the sector. Ulster Bank noted that the rate of expansion did ease for the third consecutive month in August, but from what…