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The European Commission has said that President Ursula Von der Leyen and US President Donald Trump have agreed to fast track trade negotiations and to stay in close contact following last night’s phone call. Mr Trump has said he would pause his threatened 50% tariffs on the European Union until 9 July, after a “very…

A new report shows that while export-driven economic growth in the first quarter of this year may not be sustainable, efforts to boost domestic tourism should help to sustain employment and support more balanced growth. But the latest SME Monitor from Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) also shows that cost pressures and price increases…

Venture capital funding into Irish SMEs jumped to €532.8m in the first quarter of 2025, new figures from the Irish Venture Capital Association Venture Pulse survey shows. This was a record for a first quarter and marked a year-to-year increase of over 100%. The survey is carried out in association with William Fry. It showed…

How would your household deal with an unexpected financial emergency costing €1,000? That was a question posed as part of this month’s Credit Union Consumer Sentiment survey. Just over a third of consumers say that they would use savings, while 18% say they would use their income, and 15% say they would be unable to…

Oil prices recorded limited gains today after US President Donald Trump extended a deadline for trade talks with the European Union, easing concerns about US tariffs on the bloc that could hurt the global economy. Brent crude futures rose 18 cents, or 0.28%, to $64.96 a barrel early this morning while US West Texas Intermediate…

Bank of Ireland Group is aiming to support the construction of 30,000 homes across Ireland through debt and equity finance as it increases its target for the funding of home building. Bank of Ireland is currently supporting the construction of more than 24,000 homes, across all housing types, on 220 sites in 22 counties. It…

The estimated number of people in employment in the first quarter of 2025 stood at just under 2.8 million, up 3.3% compared with a year ago. The latest Labour Force Survey from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) also shows that there was an increase in the unemployment rate in the first three months of the…

The price of Bitcoin rose to its highest level on record today, eclipsing the previous high from January, as risk sentiment continues to improve after last month’s tariff-induced sell-off. The world’s largest cryptocurrency touched a high of $109,481.83, a 2% gain on the day. Bitcoin, at times, trades in a similar fashion to tech stocks…

Irish retailers have welcomed a European Union proposal to add a €2 flat fee on all packages coming from outside the bloc. Yesterday EU trade chief Maroš Šefčovič told the European Parliament that ecommerce platforms outside the EU would be expected to add the fee, which would go towards the costs customs officials face in…

Britain suffered a bigger-than-expected inflation surge in April, including in areas watched closely by the Bank of England which investors now believe will have to slow its already gradual pace of interest rate cuts. Inflation leapt to 3.5% in April from 2.6% in March, the Office for National Statistics said, the highest reading since January…