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The Minister for Public Expenditure has promised that help is on the way, in response to increases in inflation and interest rates announced earlier. Speaking this afternoon in Cork, Michael McGrath said the Government is finalising what he described as a Budget like no other, which will be delivered in less than three weeks. He…

EU energy ministers will attempt to forge a united response to the energy shock from Russia’s war in Ukraine that has sent prices for electricity and heating skyrocketing. The invasion has seen the price of natural gas hit record levels, throwing the EU economy into deep uncertainty with all eyes on whether Russian President Vladimir…

Annual inflation slowed for the first time in seven months in August, with prices up 8.7% compared to a 38-year high of 9.1% in the previous two months, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show. Prices were 0.2% higher on a monthly basis, which was also the slowest level of growth since January. The…

Oil prices rose by as much as $1 per barrel today after dropping below key technical support levels in the previous session, as an energy standoff between Europe and Russia focused investor minds on how tight fuel supply may become. Brent crude futures gained 63 cents, or 0.7%, to $88.63 per barrel this morning after…

The European Commission is proposing a mandatory reduction in electricity use during peak hours as part of sweeping new measures to tackle the energy crisis. Other measures include a price cap on energy companies who produce electricity through low carbon methods – such as renewables – but who have availed of artificially high revenues because…

The Government has approved a new pay agreement which will provide pay increases and wage structure for early learning and childcare workers. Employment Regulation Orders will commence on 15 September and will provide new minimum hourly rates of pay for various roles in the early years services sector, ranging from €13-an-hour for early years educators…

Green Party leader Eamon Ryan has said there will be another form of universal energy credit and new measures for small business in this month’s Budget to help people manage increases in the cost of living. The Cabinet is meeting at Dublin Castle this morning to discuss an energy reduction plan for the public sector,…

The European Central Bank’s Governing Council meets today and is widely expected to agree an increase in interest rates. Inflation in the euro area escalated over the summer months as the energy crisis continues to intensify. The European Central Bank increased interest rates in July by 0.5%. It is now speculated that rates could be…

Euro zone economic growth was stronger than previously estimated in the second quarter, data showed today. Today’s figures show that household spending recovered after a half of year of stagnation despite the squeeze on disposible income from spiraling inflation. The European Union’s statistics office Eurostat said gross domestic product in the 19 countries using the…

Euro zone retail sales rose in July, but by less than expected because of a continued slump in demand for non-food products, data form the EU’s statistics office Eurostat showed today. Eurostat said retail sales in the 19 countries sharing the euro, a proxy for consumer demand, increased 0.3% month-on-month in July for a 0.9%…