Posts by sean

Businesses in the retail and hospitality sectors are in line for a top-up payment of up to €3,000 in the Energy Efficiency Grant, under proposals Minister for Enterprise Simon Coveney will bring to the Cabinet. Businesses in these sectors, who employ up to 50 people, are already eligible for a capital grant of up to…

A new OECD report has found that there is an urgent need to take stock of anti-disinformation policies in countries around the world and to set a path for action. The study, ‘Facts not Fake: Tackling Disinformation, Strengthening Information Integrity’, warns that rising disinformation has far‑reaching consequences in many policy areas ranging from public health…

The service sector here grew at its fastest pace in five months in February after slowing to a near standstill a month earlier, as firms reported rising levels of new business across all sectors, a survey showed today. The AIB Global S&P Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) rose to 54.4 from 50.5 in January. The index…

Ireland lags other part of Europe when it comes to retail payments, the Central Bank has claimed. The result is an unsatisfactory situation for both consumers and businesses the regulator has said. The comments were made by the bank’s deputy governor, Vasileios Madouros, at the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland (BPFI) organised National Payments…

Business activity in the euro zone showed signs of recovery last month as the bloc’s dominant services industry expanded for the first time since July, offsetting a deeper contraction in manufacturing, a survey showed today. HCOB’s composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) for the bloc, compiled by S&P Global and seen as a good guide of…

More than 15% of job postings in Ireland offer remote or hybrid work opportunities, ranking the country ahead of Germany, France and the US, but behind the UK, Austria, Spain and Poland. According to new analysis from jobs site Indeed, Poland featured the highest proportion of remote ads at over 21%. The share percentage for…

The slowdown in the mortgage market is continuing, driven by a declining numbers of switchers and mover purchasers. The latest figures from Banking and Payments Federation Ireland show that just over 3,200 mortgages were approved in January – down almost 12% on the same month last year. Approvals dropped across all customer groups, with the…

Business condition in the manufacturing sector improved in February, the latest AIB Purchasing Managers Index shows. It comes as production growth accelerated to the highest in 22 months, amid a renewed improvement in order books. The headline index increased to 52.2 from 49.5 in January – the first expansion in six months. Readings above 50…

Inflation in the euro zone is expected to fall further but the European Central Bank needs more data before starting to cut interest rates, ECB Vice-President Luis de Guindos said today. The ECB has kept rates steady at a record high since September and consistently pushes back on rate cut talk, arguing that wage growth…

CEOs in Ireland are more optimistic than in the previous two years as businesses adjust to geopolitical challenges, a new survey shows. The research carried out by business group Ibec reveals that 87% of respondents rate the outlook for the next six months as ‘good’ or ‘very good’, up from 66% last year. Meanwhile, 91%…