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Gold hit a record high for the fourth straight session today, as investors flocked to the safe-haven metal on brewing US-China trade tensions and the US government shutdown, with bets on interest rate cuts fuelling the momentum. Spot gold was up 1.4% at $4,264.63 per ounce as of 1506 GMT after bullion touched a record…

The Minister for Finance has published the Finance Bill which implements the tax changes announced on Budget Day, as well as introducing some administrative and technical changes to the tax code. The 142 page document provides for amendments relating to the rate of VAT applying to the hospitality and hairdressing sectors, the Automatic Enrolment Retirement…

There was a 40% rise in the volume of fraudulent payments last year compared to 2023, according to the Central Bank’s Payment Fraud Statistics for 2024. The figures show the total value of fraudulent payments in Ireland increased to €160 million in 2024 – up nearly 25% from the previous year. The growth is predominantly…

Official data may be understating the amount of corporation tax paid by the manufacturing and information and communications technology (ICT) sectors, according to the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council. Figures from the Revenue Commissioners show that around 70% of Ireland’s corporation tax revenues have come from just three broad sectors – manufacturing, ICT and financial and…

Over a third of Irish people failed to make full use of their holiday entitlements last year, according to new research. It represents an overall improvement on the same study last year which found 42% of workers had failed to use all their annual leave. The findings are based on a survey of almost 2,000…

Residential property prices grew by 7.4% in the year to August, the lowest rate since March last year and unchanged from the year to July, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show today. The CSO said that property prices outside of Dublin were 9.2% higher in August of this year compared to a year…

Over half a billion euro is to be paid to Irish farmers in advance payments as part of two EU-funded income-support schemes in the coming days, the Minister for Agriculture has confirmed. Minister Martin Heydon said from tomorrow €510.9m in payments will be made to 110,499 farmers under the Basic Income Support for Sustainability (BISS)…

The increased volume of AI-generated videos online could eventually turn people away from social media platforms, an expert has said. Social media platforms are embracing AI-generated content because it creates advertising revenue, according to Dr Constance de Saint Laurent, who is Assistant Professor of Sociotechnical Systems at Maynooth University, but added that it might not…

ICS Mortgages is to reduce the interest rates and fees across its Housing Bridging Loan products. From October 16, ICS said the rate on its housing bridging loans will reduce to 10% from 12% a year. Its arrangement fee will fall to 1% from 2%, while its exit fee will be reduced to 0% from…

Building activity, including residential construction, has declined for a fifth month in a row, a monthly survey by AIB has shown. The bank’s sampling of purchasing managers in the construction sector indicated there were falls across housing, commercial and civil engineering. The survey said that a continuing downturn in the sector had gathered pace in…