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Over 90% of small and medium sized businesses in Ireland plan to maintain or increase their investment in sustainability practices over the next year. The SME sustainability sentiment survey conducted by Behaviour and Attitudes for Uisce Éireann reveals that 73% of companies plan to maintain their current level of investment, while 20% expect to increase…

New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that the number of homes owned without a mortgage or loan increased by 11% to nearly 680,000 while the number owned with a mortgage or loan fell by 1% in 2022. Compiled from data in Census 2022, today’s CSO figures also show that the housing stock increased…

Warmer weather and the ending of the academic year in education institutions led to demand for gas dropping by 10% in June compared to May. Overall, gas demand was 9% lower in June of this year compared to last, Gas Networks Ireland said. The residential sector drew -53% less gas in June compared to a…

329 corporate insolvencies were recorded in Ireland in the first half of the year, new figures from Deloitte show. This is up 30% on the same time last year, when 253 insolvencies were recorded. 186 corporate insolvencies were recorded in the second quarter of the year, up 30% on the previous quarter. These figures represent…

The European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to raise interest rates again at a meeting of its Governing Council in Frankfurt today. Markets are expecting a further 0.25% rise in rates, as efforts continue to bring inflation in the euro area under control. If rates do increase as expected today, it would be the ninth…

The Abhaile scheme, which supports families who are in serious or long-term mortgage arrears and are at risk of losing their homes, has been extended by the Government for a further four years. Funded and managed jointly by the Department of Social Protection and the Department of Justice, the scheme was set up in 2016…

The volume of new mortgages drawn down by first-time buyers in the second three months of the year fell for the first time since the pandemic in 2020. However, first-time buyers remained the single biggest segment of the market by both volume and value, accounting for 63%. According to new data from the Banking and…

Younger people are leading the way when it comes to cashless living, with half of 18-24 year olds saying they never carry money. New figures from Royal London Ireland, a life insurance and pensions company, show that in total, 20% of people in Ireland never carry cash. Those over the age of 55 were less…

The pressures facing Irish consumers are fading but are far from finished, according to the Credit Union Consumer Sentiment Index, which showed the mood among consumers improved fractionally in July. Economist Austin Hughes said holidays and summer sales likely encouraged a pick-up in spending plans. However, a slight pull-back in household financial circumstances suggests consumers…

Oil prices rose today, buoyed by evidence of tightening supplies and economic stimulus in slow-recovering China. Brent futures were up $1.02 at $80.66 a barrel by 1134 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbed $1 to $76.65 a barrel. “The supply deficit that had been looming in the second half of the year…