Archive for July 2024

Children’s charity Barnardos has called on the Government to introduce a suite of measures to assist parents with back-to-school costs. They include a voluntary contribution code of practice, extension of the free book scheme to all secondary school students, affordable uniform options, an increased back-to-school allowance for parents on low income and a digital education…

Almost €400m in new lending for the construction of new homes was approved by the State’s building finance body in the first half of 2024. That will go towards the construction of just over 2,700 housing units, according to Home Building Finance Ireland. It brings to €2.05 billion the amount approved by the HBFI since…

A plan to transform the rail system on the island of Ireland through electrification, additional track capacity, increased speeds and more frequent services is to be published. The final report from the All-Island Strategic Rail Review sets out a vision up to 2050 and was jointly commissioned by authorities north and south. The cost of…

The latest “flash” estimate of inflation from the Central Statistics Office shows that the annual rate came in at 1.5% in the year to July, unchanged from a more than three-year low in June. The rate of 1.5% compares with an annual increase of 2.5% in the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) for the…

There has been an increase in the number of workers in Ireland who cannot afford a week’s holiday away from home, either in their own country or abroad, according to new research. Analysis of EU data for the European Trade Union Confederation (ETUC) has found that in 2022, an estimated 14.8% of Irish workers could…

There was a 14.4% increase in professional job openings in the second quarter of the year compared to the previous quarter, according to new data. The latest Quarterly Employment Monitor from recruitment firm Morgan McKinley shows that the surge in vacancies was primarily observed during April and May, with a slight downturn in June. The…

The economy as measured by Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 1.2% between April and June when compared to the previous three months. That is according to an early estimate from the Central Statistics Office, which shows that this growth was mainly driven by the multinational dominated industry sector. When compared to the same quarter…

Nearly 80% of foreign direct investment decision-makers are planning to establish or expand operations in Ireland over the next year. That is according to the latest EY Attractiveness Survey, and marks a significant improvement on the result from 2023. In last year’s survey just 53% of FDI decision-makers said they were planning an investment in…

The number of mortgage drawdowns by first time buyers reached the highest level since 2007 between April and June, new data shows. The latest figures from Banking and Payments Federation Ireland show an overall moderation in mortgage activity. A total of 10,110 new mortgages to the value of over €2.85 billion were drawn down by…

The consumer mood has risen to its highest level in two and a half years, according to the latest Credit Union consumer sentiment index. Easing cost-of-living concerns and continued improvements in the economy have boosted consumers’ attitudes, according to the survey. That led to an across-the-board pick up in the index’s readings. Consumers were more…