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Almost two thirds of business leaders are feeling optimistic about the Irish economy, more than twice the level recorded at the start of the year. According to a new survey of members by the Institute of Directors, nearly three quarters of those questioned feel the financial performance of their organisation will improve this quarter, up…

70% of Irish consumers expect house prices to rise over the next three years, according to a new survey by KBC Bank Ireland. Just 12% said they expect to see prices drop, while 5% see prices being broadly flat. The survey shows that one in two Irish consumers expects Irish house prices to rise faster…

Legal restrictions that prevent employers from finding out the coronavirus vaccine status of employees risk delaying the re-opening of offices and are costing businesses money, new research has found. The issue is also causing a negative impact on relations between a third of employers and their employees, according to the findings of a survey by…

The Government has approved the publication of the Companies Bill 2021, which will transform the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement into a statutory and independent agency with additional resources to investigate and prosecute white collar crime. When the Bill is enacted, the new authority will have more powers to deal with larger, more…

Just over 153,000 people received the Pandemic Unemployment Payment this week, according to figures from the Department of Social Protection. Around 4,400 PUP recipients closed their claims in the week with almost half of these working in the Accommodation and Food sector, the figures show. The number of people receiving the Pandemic Unemployment Payment has…

Over 60% of non-native English speakers working in Ireland say they need to work harder than their Irish peers to progress in the workplace, according to research published by AllTalk Training. AllTalk Training is a training provider that specialises in communication and collaboration for multicultural workplaces. It conducted focus group research with 80 non-native English…

The total value of imports from Northern Ireland into the Republic jumped by more than three quarters in the first six months since Brexit compared to the same period last year, according to new data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO). Goods worth €1.77bn were brought into the country from the north between January and…

An alcohol price survey by Alcohol Action Ireland confirms “the exceptional affordability of alcohol to every day shoppers” and reaffirms the necessity for the commencement of minimum pricing of alcohol products, due to come into effect in January next year. Alcohol Action Ireland is an independent advocate for reducing alcohol harm. Its price survey found…

More than 100 Covid outbreaks are occurring each week, most of which are happening at social gatherings and in workplaces, the National Lead for Testing and Tracing at the HSE has said. Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Philip Boucher Hayes, Niamh O’Beirne said there are an increasing number of outbreaks in these settings with people…

At the onset of the pandemic last year, the property market went into hibernation and there were forecasts of prices falling, possibly by up to 12%. How wrong that assumption turned out to be. Figures published by the Central Statistics Office this week showed that property prices continued their ascent in June. Transaction prices were…