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Leaders to discuss EU competitiveness at Budapest summit
EU leaders are meeting for a second day in Budapest to discuss the European economy and its competitiveness, as the continent continues to take stock of Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential elections. Leaders at the European Political Community summit will hear from Mario Draghi, the former ECB president, whose recent report on competitiveness…
Read MoreFinancial abuse experienced by 30% of adults – survey
Vulnerable adults are being urged to keep control of their own money as much as possible, including those with decision-making and capacity challenges. Almost a third of adults in Ireland (30%) have experienced financial abuse according to figures released by Safeguarding Ireland. In a RED C survey, the majority of those who experienced this type…
Read MoreDecarbonising electricity sector will cost €2bn annually – EAI
The Electricity Association of Ireland has published a report outlining a policy and investment pathway for the decarbonisation of the sector, which it says will play a critical role if Ireland is to achieve its climate goals. It projects investment of close to €2bn annually in electricity grid reinforcement, renewal and resilience is needed to…
Read MoreUnemployment rate rises slightly to 4.2% in October – CSO
The unemployment rate rose slightly to 4.2% in October from a near-record low of 4.1% a month earlier, new figures from the Central Statistics Office showed today. The unemployment rate for September was revised down from a provisional reading of 4.3%, the CSO said. Today’s CSO figures show that the jobless rate for men in…
Read MoreDollar soars, euro tumbles as Trump wins election
The dollar soared today and was set for its biggest one-day rise since March 2020 after Republican Donald Trump won the US presidential election, while the euro, Chinese yuan and Mexican peso were among the biggest losers on potential new tariffs in the regions. Trump beat Democrat Vice President Kamala Harris to retake the White…
Read MoreOver 700 cybersecurity incidents in Ireland last year
The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) received 5,276 reports last year, 721 of which were confirmed as cybersecurity incidents. This led to the opening of 309 investigations. The figures are contained in the National Cyber Security Annual Update 2023 which was published today. According to the report, the vast majority of incidents were categorised as…
Read MorePersonal loan drawdowns hit highest level ever in second quarter
Strong demand for car loans propelled the value of personal loan drawdowns to the highest level recorded during the second quarter of the year. In total 60,674 loans worth a total of €641m were provided during the April to June period. That was up 7.6% in volume and 18.9% in value, when compared to the…
Read MoreServices sector continues to grow solidly in October
There was a sustained uptick in activity in the services sector last month, the latest AIB Ireland Services Purchasing Managers Index shows. However, growth momentum eased from September’s six-month high, the data shows. Overall the index fell from 55.7 in September to 53.8 in October. “The rate of growth in the Irish services sector was…
Read MoreOPEC+ agrees to delay December output hike for a month
OPEC+ has agreed to delay a planned December oil output increase by one month, the group said, as weak demand notably from China and rising supply outside the group maintain downward pressure on the oil market. Eight members of OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries plus Russia and other allies, were…
Read MoreGovernment urged to ‘ramp up’ broadband capacity
The Government has been told that National Broadband Ireland should seek to ramp up its capacity to meet the demand for new connections in anticipation of continued strong take-up. The recommendation is contained in an independent evaluation report of the National Broadband Plan which was prepared by EY Ireland. The study was based on extensive…
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