Archive for December 2021

Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe is confident the euro zone’s recovery can be sustained into next year even if the Omicron coronavirus variant requires new public health measures, he told the Reuters Next conference today. Mr Donohoe is also the head of the Eurogroup of euro zone finance ministers. Paschal Donohoe said his confidence was based…

The unemployment rate, including people receiving temporary Covid-19 jobless benefits, fell to 6.9% in November from 7.9% in October, the latest Central Statistics Office figures show today. The CSO said this measure of unemployment had stood at 20.4% the same time last year. Excluding those on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, which will be withdrawn in…

Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme rates will be reduced from today as part of a plan to gradually wind it down. However, business groups and the opposition have called for the support to continue at the full rate because of the impact the most recently imposed Covid-19 restrictions are having on certain sectors. Last month, 25,900…

The Department of Social Protection has said 1.4 million social welfare recipients will receive their Christmas bonus next week. Pensioners, carers, people will disabilities, lone parents and those receiving long-term social welfare are among those who will get an additional 100% payment. The qualifying period for those in receipt of an eligible Jobseekers payment has…

Up to €5.4bn could be spend by consumers this Christmas, Retail Ireland has predicted. This works out at around €832 per household, the organisation claimed, and represents a 5% increase on what was spent last year. In total, the Christmas spend will be €1.58bn more than is spent during the other months of the year.…

New figures from Banking Payments Federation Ireland show a slowdown in mortgage approvals in October both on a monthly and annual basis. BPFI said a total of 4,568 mortgages were approved in October, which marked a monthly fall of 4.2% and a yearly drop of 12.3%. Of these mortgages, 2,533 were for first time buyers,…

Most consumers want to take action on climate change, but believe it will cost them financially to do so. That’s according to new research by Permanent TSB and Kantar. It reveals that consumers want to see more financial incentives introduced, to help them transition to a more eco-friendly way of living. In particular, the research…

Retail sales fell by 1.7% in October compared to the previous month but were 9% up on pre-pandemic levels in the same time of 2019, new Central Statistics Office figures show today. The highest increases compared to 2019 levels were seen in the electrical goods, furniture and lighting and food, beverages and tobacco categories, which…