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The tourism industry needs to focus on costs and competitiveness as the sector faces into choppier waters in the years ahead. That’s according to the head of the national tourism development authority, Fáilte Ireland. Paul Kelly said the industry had to avoid complacency against a backdrop of a softening in demand. “We absolutely need to…

Research by the Economic and Social Research Institute has found that the Irish tax system does more than any other system in the EU to redistribute income and reduce inequality. It also found that raising the point at which taxpayers pay the higher rate of tax, or abolishing the Universal Social Charge, would both favour those…

European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is set to launch a broad review of the bank’s policy today that is likely to see her redefine the ECB’s main goal and how to achieve it.  The ECB has fallen short of its inflation target of just under 2% for years despite increasingly aggressive stimulus measures under…

The chief executive of IDA Ireland has said it is hard to see how a digital tax makes sense. Speaking to RTE News in Davos at the World Economic Forum annual meeting, Martin Shanahan said Ireland believes the issue should be dealt with on a multilateral basis through the OECD. His comments came just hours…

21,500 new homes were completed last year, according to new analysis from stockbrokers Goodbody, up 19% on the figure for 2018. The increase marked the highest rate of growth in a decade and is nearly five times greater than the 2013 trough of 4,575. However it still sits below the 34,000 units that the Central…

A new study has found that Ireland has the fifth largest number of billionaires relative to its population of any country in the world. The report, produced by Oxfam ahead of the start of the World Economic Forum in Davos, claims that with 17 billionaires, most of whom are men, Ireland is mirroring the global trend…

ComReg is introducing measures that will reduce the costs for businesses and charities offering ‘1800’ Freephone numbers to users of their services.  Calls to 1800 Freephone numbers are free to the caller, but it has been very costly for business and organisations who offer services and helplines over such numbers to provide such services.  ComReg…

Dublin Port Company has again reported record growth figures for 2019 as trade with the European Union countries experienced strong growth.  Volumes on Ro-Ro (Roll-on/roll-off) and Lo-Lo (life-on/lift off) services to Continental Europe grew by 10.7%, but UK volumes fell by 0.2%.  Dublin Port reported growth in unitised volumes (both Ro-Ro and Lo-Lo combined) of…

European Union trade commissioner Phil Hogan said his meeting with senior US officials marked a “good start” to resetting trade ties with Washington, but there was more work to do. Hogan told reporters he had a good exchange of views with US Trade Representative Robert Lighthizer several times during his visit, and underscored Brussels’ desire…

The Government has sharply increased the rate of interest it will charge future first-time home buyers availing of its Rebuilding Ireland Home Loan scheme. As a result of the changes, the 25-year fixed rate has increased to 2.745% from 2%, while the 30-year fixed rate has risen to 2.995% from 2.3%. The move means those…