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Most people do not shop around for bank accounts or financial products like loans, a survey carried out by the Economic and Social Research Institute has found. The survey was based on a national sample of almost 3,000 consumers carried out by the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit. It was commissioned by the Department of Finance…

Retailers are being urged to apply to a €3.4m Government fund to enhance their online presence. In the latest round of the Online Retail Scheme, funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and administered by Enterprise Ireland, retailers can access up to €25,000 in grant funding to strengthen their ecommerce capabilities. Since 2018,…

New data from property listings website MyHome.ie has found that asking prices for homes fell by 0.3% in the first three months of the year when compared to the previous quarter. The drop marks the third consecutive quarter that advertised prices for homes around the country have fallen. Nationally, though, listed prices are still up…

Activity in the manufacturing sector weakened in March, as demand dropped, new figures show today. The latest Purchasing Managers Index from AIB shows that new orders and factory production fell. On a more positive note, price and supply pressures eased. The index dropped to 49.7, from 51.3 in February. Readings above 50 indicate overall growth…

Minister for Finance Michael McGrath has said changes to Ireland’s corporate tax rate will take effect from next January and described it as a “historic change” in the country’s corporate tax regime. Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week, he said it is one of two planned changes and arises from an international OECD agreement, which Ireland…

Inflation in Ireland, as measured by the Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, is estimated to have moderated to an annual rate of 7% in March, the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office show. This compares to a rate of 8.1% in February and is the slowest annual rate of inflation since March 2022. The…

The Bar of Ireland has launched the Media, Internet and Data Protection Bar Association (MIDBA). It is a new Specialist Bar Association aimed at legal professionals who practice, or have an interest, in the areas of media, internet and data protection law. The aim of MIDBA is to promote and advance knowledge in what are…

A European Central Bank staff paper published today says bigger company profits are driving inflation more than higher wages. The paper – “How tit-for-tat inflation can make everyone poorer” – makes clear that both higher wages and higher profit margins are pushing up prices in the euro area. This is in response to higher energy…

Migrant labour market outcomes were more affected by the Covid-19 pandemic and associated public health restrictions than those of Irish-born workers, a new study from the Economic and Social Research Institute has found. However, by early 2022, the migrant employment rate of 77% was higher than the 72% rate among Irish-born workers. It also exceeded…

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) has welcomed the passage of the Work Life Balance Bill by both Houses of the Oireachtas. The legislation will introduce a range of measures to improve family-friendly work practices including giving parents and carers the right to request flexible work. It will also introduce unpaid leave for medical…