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EU and UK officials will continue their last-minute negotiations in Brussels today with the EU signalling that persistent differences over fisheries could mean an agreement is not reached in time for 31 December, when the Brexit transition period ends. The EU’s chief negotiator, Michel Barnier, told member states that the UK’s latest offer on granting European…

Public liability insurance premiums have increased by 15-20% on average over the past three years, new research by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) has found. Their market study also found that the reasons for the increases were not always clear and 70% of respondents said they did not think that the price rises…

Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan has said there will be a series of staggered dates regarding changes to restrictions, not all on the one date, over the holiday period. Mr Ryan was speaking ahead of a Cabinet meeting at Dublin Castle. He said the Cabinet sub-committee was briefed last night by the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET)…

New figures show that the number of mortgages approved fell by 0.2% in November on a monthly basis, while they rose by 24.3% compared with the same time last year.  Banking & Payments Federation Ireland said that a total of 5,198 mortgages were approved in November. First-time buyers (FTBs) were approved for 54.4% of the…

An Post has said last-minute international letters and parcels to and from Britain and the rest of Europe will be impacted by the serious disruption to international supply lines through Britain. “We’ll do everything within our power to maintain the flow of incoming and outgoing international mail,” said Garrett Bridgman, Managing Director, An Post Mails…

The Department of Finance has said that some banks and businesses may not be fully ready to implement new security rules for electronic payments that come into effect from 1 January. The Labour Party has called on the main banks and Central Bank to clarify whether the situation means some customers could potentially face disruption…

European shares slumped in opening trade this morning as the rapid spread of a new strain of the coronavirus led to a more stringent lockdown in England and a travel ban from many countries, while a Brexit trade deal still hung in the balance.  More than £33 billion was wiped off the FTSE 100 within…

Talks on a post-Brexit trade pact between Britain and the EU are expected to continue today as “significant differences remain”. A senior UK government source said: “Teams have been negotiating throughout the day and expect to continue tomorrow. Talks remain difficult and significant differences remain. “We continue to explore every route to a deal that is…

Ireland is the fifth largest exporter of financial services in Europe, according to a new report on the contribution of international banking to the economy here. The report was carried out by the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland in conjunction with its affiliate, the Federation of International Banks in Ireland (FIBI). It concludes that financial…

The Covid-19 pandemic has amplified a trend of chronic and worsening shortage of housing and this is already being reflected in house prices and rents. This is according to the Trinity College economist Ronan Lyons who, in his latest report for the property website, daft.ie, says the low volume of properties for sale coming onto…