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Irish consumers plan to spend €329 each over the period of the upcoming Black Friday and Cyber Monday weekend. That is higher than the planned spending by all other European countries that were surveyed by PwC in its Black Friday research. A fifth of consumers here said they would spend at least €500 or more.…

The cost of doing business is the top election issue exercising the minds of senior business leaders, new research by Ibec has found. 25% said it was the most pressing challenge that they want to see in the general election campaign. Housing was the next most important concern, cited by 22% of respondents. The provision…

Work started on 4,249 homes last month which represents an increase of 62% on October 2023, according to official figures from the Department of Housing. Dermot O’Leary, chief economist with Goodbody Stockbrokers, said the “figures look strong” compared to average monthly commencement data. Builders have been encouraged to start work on housing this year because…

High costs and a lack of skilled workers are impacting the growth plans of many companies, new research shows. The latest All-Island Business Monitor by InterTradeIreland, which compiles the views of businesses across Ireland and Northern Ireland, paints a broadly positive picture. Almost 40% of businesses said they are growing, while over half are stable.…

Most consumers do not trust Black Friday deals, new research shows. The report published by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) reveals that just 30% of consumers believe that the discounts displayed by businesses are genuine. The findings are being released ahead of Black Friday which takes place this day next week, 29 November,…

Property prices are continuing to accelerate and are up 10% in the 12 months to September, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office. The latest figures show that prices rose by 10.8% in Dublin and 9.4% outside the capital. The median cost of buying a home nationally was €346,000. The lowest prices…

Total tax revenue last year was 50% higher than it was in 2020, new data from the Central Statistics Office shows. €116 billion in taxes and social contributions were collected by the State in 2023, the CSO said, an increase of 5% on a year earlier. The growth was in large part propelled by corporation…

The rate of employment in the country has increased once again, hitting a new record high, according to the latest Central Statistics Office figures. The Labour Force Survey for the third quarter of the year shows that the estimated employment rate for people aged 15-64 years was 75.3% – the highest rate recorded since the…

The Health Insurance Authority is urging consumers to review their policy and shop around to ensure they are not overpaying while securing the right coverage for their needs as the health insurance renewals period nears. The HIA said that private health insurance now costs €1,712 on average with price increases of 11% so far this…

The national average cost of rebuilding a home has risen by 6.2% in the last year. That is lower than the 12% increase recorded last year and the 21% seen in 2022. But the new research by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI) found that the rate of growth in rebuild costs over the…