Posts by sean

There has been a fall in the proportion of companies planning to increase their headcount next year, according to a new survey from business group Ibec. The research shows that 37% of companies plan to increase headcount in 2026, down from 41% in 2025 and 45% in 2024. A total of 56% of respondents plan…

The combined loan book of Irish League of Credit Unions members reached its highest ever level of €6.24 billion, surpassing the previous record of €6.21 billion recorded in 2008. Mortgage lending played a big role, while new lending rules effective later this month are expected to have a significant impact. The ILCU represents 90% of…

The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged today as expected but offered no clues about its next move, even as investors continue to bet that more support will be needed as inflation dips below target next year. The ECB halved its key rate in the year to June but has been on hold at…

Opinion: If the current AI boom is in fact a bubble, I’m willing to bet that it won’t be the tech bros who pay the price I recently rewatched ‘The Big Short’. As an Oscar winning movie with a stellar cast and brilliant performances, especially from Steve Carrell and Christian Bale, it’s worth a watch…

Two in five small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) reported growth during the second quarter of the year, the highest level in over two years. The latest ‘All-Island Business Monitor’ shows more than half of SMEs remain stable, with contraction described as rare, as only 7% reported decline. The study shows that SME sentiment across the…

The European Central Bank is set to leave interest rates unchanged today as inflation remains in line with its target, but a fraught trade and political outlook means it will keep alive the prospect of further easing. The ECB halved its key rate to 2% in the year to June but has been on hold…

The Government is to publish a new Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity today aimed at increasing Ireland’s international competitiveness and resilience. The initiative is designed to boost innovation, investment and productivity in key areas of the economy, in light of the evolving geopolitical and international trade environment. The 124-page plan, which covers six key…

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has warned that the Government must change course in the upcoming Budget and move away from one-off cost of living measures. Mr Donohoe predicts that the ending of one-off payments, which he concedes will be difficult, will deliver a major change in current spending next year. He was speaking after…

Electric Ireland is to decrease gas prices for 140,000 customers by 4% from the beginning of November, while there will be no increase for the company’s 1.1 million electricity customers ahead of the winter. The announcement from the country’s biggest energy supplier will be welcomed by consumers, who had been bracing for further price rises…

Irish construction activity continued to fall last month, according to AIB’s latest Construction Purchasing Managers Index. The headline seasonally adjusted figure fell to 45.9 in August, down from 47.1 in July, as firms signalled a renewed reduction in new business activity. It is the fourth successive month where the Construction Total Activity Index was below…