Posts by sean

The number of personal injuries claims submitted to the Injuries Resolution Board last year rose by 1% to 20,318 when compared with 2023 – but still remain well below pre-pandemic levels. According to the board’s personal injuries and awards report for 2024, the volume of claims is down by 35% on what was seen in…

The price of gold has been rising on global markets to near record highs. This time last year, gold prices on international markets were trading at below $2,000 (€1,848) per troy ounce. Now they are above $3,000 and predicted to rise further. Gold is often seen as a safer investment when there are political and…

Most low-income households had to make high-risk changes to their finances to cope with the cost of living crisis, according to the latest ESRI research. Typical changes included entering arrears, taking on more debt, or eating into savings. The research, conducted by the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit, said such decision are linked to damaging long-term…

The net wealth of Irish households has reached €1.2 trillion, of which €812 billion is property wealth The new Goodbody Guide to Inheritance and Estate Planning, published today, aims to help people manage the efficient transfer of wealth to the next generation. The report highlights how wealth is unevenly distributed across households with 49% of…

Minister for Housing James Browne is to allocate €436m for social housing needs this year. This includes capital funding allocations of €325m to be used by local authorities for the second-hand social housing acquisitions programme. €111m has also been allocated for 82 new social housing projects which will provide over 1,300 newly built homes, delivered…

A new jobseeker’s payment that is linked to a person’s previous earnings is due to begin. People who become unemployed, and who have at least five years’ paid PRSI contributions, will be entitled to receive 60% of their earnings, subject to a maximum of €450 a week for the first 13 weeks. After that, the…

The new legal requirement for motorists to provide their driver number when renewing or taking out motor insurance is in effect. It is now an offence for any insurance provider or broker to issue motor insurance to anyone if the driver numbers for all the named drivers on their policy are not provided. Drivers who…

The Minister for Finance has said he is “extremely concerned” about the potential impact of proposed United States tariffs on pharmaceutical exports, warning they could deliver a major blow to Ireland’s economy. Speaking on RTÉ’s Prime Time programme, Paschal Donohoe said the Government is preparing for “real and significant” difficulties if US President Donald Trump…

New figures from Banking & Payments Federation Ireland show that first time buyer and mover purchase values reached their highest levels on record at €322,050 and €375,495 respectively in February. Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland’s latest Mortgage Approvals Report shows that the number of mortgages approved rose by 0.7% month-on-month in February, but were…

A new property survey for the first quarter of this year shows that the average price of a resale property in Dublin stands at €593,936, an increase of over €50,000 since the end of March 2024. The latest residential market review from estate agents DNG shows the average price of a resale property in Dublin…