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The ministers for Housing and Finance are expected to bring proposals to the Cabinet this morning to prevent the bulk purchase of housing estates by investment funds. Minister for Housing Darragh O’Brien is to brief ministers on proposals to issue a circular to local authorities banning them from granting planning for developments of houses and…

Over 95% of workers now favour some form of remote working, with fewer than 5% wanting a full-time return to the office, according to the Second Annual National Remote Working Survey. The survey of over 6,400 respondents from both the public and private sectors by NUI Galway and the Western Development Commission reflects a further…

More than three quarters of businesses are planning to return employees to their workplaces within the next three months if Government guidelines allow, a new survey by the employer’s group Ibec has found. However, four out of every five respondent companies said they will operate a hybrid model of remote and onsite work to a…

Nearly two thirds of businesses surveyed by InterTrade Ireland said they are in stable or growth mode, in a further sign that recovery is taking hold. Optimism levels were higher in the Republic of Ireland than in Northern Ireland with 65% of businesses here describing themselves as stable or in growth, compared to 56% of…

The National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) successfully raised €1.5bn in an auction of benchmark Irish government bonds this morning. The three bonds, maturing in 2031, 2033 and 2050, were all sold with a positive yield, meaning the State will be paying it back with interest. The NTMA has now raised €12bn of its target of between…

The annual rate of consumer inflation rose by 1.1% in April, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office. This marks the first positive annual rate since March of last year. The main factors behind the prices increases last month were higher energy and fuel prices. On an annual basis, petrol is up…

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said he appreciates the urgency of Ireland’s housing situation, and he acknowledged that the Government must do more to alleviate the challenges faced by first time buyers. Speaking on RTÉ’s Today with Claire Byrne, Paschal Donohoe said the Government is “absolutely aware and have been for some time of…

Remote working has the potential to bring economic, social and environmental benefits – but some enterprises may struggle with additional costs, according to the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council. In a new bulletin, the NCPC says enterprises could secure productivity and competitiveness benefits from remote working arrangements with a broader pool of talent, better retention…

55% of employees are looking to change roles in either the next six or 12 months or once the economy has strengthened, new research from HR firm Personio shows. Personio has urged businesses to prioritise their people as the country emerges from the pandemic, or risk paying the price. Today’s research finds that while 60%…

The Department of Social Protection has advised employers facing difficulties in re-hiring staff to contact it so that it can “follow up” with the workers concerned. The advice comes as the latest Department figures reveal that the number of people claiming the Pandemic Unemployment Payment this week has dropped to 376,600. This marked a decrease…