Archive for December 2021

Irish consumer confidence dropped again in December, as concerns around Covid-19 and the cost of living intensified. The KBC Bank consumer sentiment index dropped to 74.9 from 83.1 in November – its weakest reading since February, indicating a clear deterioration in the mood of Irish consumers. December saw the third largest monthly fall since the…

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said that the heightened level of pandemic supports will remain in place until the end of January in line with most recent public health restrictions. Paschal Donohoe said the Government will monitor the current level of restrictions on a daily basis, but that the plan is not to change…

The Government has announced enhanced business support schemes for the hospitality and arts sectors hit by the latest restrictions. This includes reopening the Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme to new applicants and a relaxation of the turnover reduction figure for the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme scheme to 40%. There is also an extension of tax warehousing.…

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe said he intends to sell part of the State’s 71.12% directed shareholding in AIB Group over the next six months. The shares will be sold through a pre-arranged trading plan that will be managed by Merrill Lynch International (“BofA Securities”). BofA Securities was appointed to the role from the Department of…

The Cabinet will meet this morning where changes to the Covid Restrictions Support Scheme (CRSS) are expected to be discussed. Businesses affected by the latest round of Covid-19 restrictions will be able to avail of the financial supports. The number of businesses that will be able to receive financial assistance is set to be increased…

Demand for gas was up by almost a fifth in November as temperatures plummeted around the country. The usage of gas for domestic purposes was up 16% on the previous month and was up 7% on the same month last year. It comes as consumers are being hit with higher energy costs as inflation impacts…

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has said that the new restrictions beginning today will substantially cut the volume of total social contact across society if people follow “not just the letter but the spirit” of the guidelines. Dr Holohan said that “it is now down to people individually” to confine social engagements to small…

The Government is seeking views from interested parties on a new EU law intended to make multinationals disclose their tax payments and activities in each member state. Ireland had opposed the so-called country-by-country reporting proposal at an EU level which would force multinationals with revenue over €750m to be more transparent about their tax activities.…

Most of us shop around for the best deal on our car insurance, but when it comes to health insurance we’re not so quick to switch. Changing provider or plan isn’t an easy job, but it is well worth setting aside some time each year to review your options. With almost one million people due…

The Cabinet is expected to meet today to consider the latest advice from the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) in response to the rise of the Omicron variant of coronavirus. NPHET has expressed “exceptional concern” about the impact of Covid-19 and the new variant in its latest advice to Government. The National Public Health…