Author: Practicenet

Ireland is again the fastest-growing economy in the European Union, with a rise of almost 8pc in GDP last year. Just 10 years after the economic crash, and despite the looming threat of Brexit, the economy continues to perform strongly. Ireland has the European Union’s fastest-growing economy for the fourth year in a row, although […]

The country’s biggest mobile operator has warned more than 100,000 phone customers of possible disruption to roaming costs and data access in a week’s time. Vodafone says that technical updates will mean that its customers won’t be able to add data to packages for four days, starting Thursday March 22, which may leave some of […]

Ulster Bank has kicked off a new round of mortgage wars with a string of cuts to its fixed mortgage rates. The leading lender has ramped up pressure on its rivals by reducing its five-year fixed rates and by making it easier to qualify for its market-leading, four-year rate of 2.6pc. The move comes as […]

Under-investment by small and medium-sized businesses was at over 30pc in 2016, with financial issues the biggest contributing factors, research has found. The study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) stated that there was “clear evidence” that actual investment is below what would be expected, given how companies are currently performing. ESRI researcher […]

Almost four in 10 Irish businesses would be willing to pay higher energy costs if their energy was coming from renewable sources, according to a new survey. Half of those businesses would pay a premium of more than 5pc. The survey carried out by Behaviour & Attitudes on behalf of Calor found that only 11pc […]

Dunnes Stores has completed a major corporate restructuring process by assimilating 40 individual companies into a principal entity within the group via a merger process. The move comes just months after it became apparent that the secretive retailer has been undergoing significant change as matriarch Margaret Heffernan (who turns 76 tomorrow) increasingly cedes control of […]

Freezing temperatures pushed gas demand far above the seasonal norms at the end of February. The monthly energy report from Vayu shows that average Irish wholesale gas prices increased by 15pc on January 2018. Wholesale electricity prices saw a 14pc increase month-on-month. This is likely to lead to new price rises for businesses and households, […]

They say it is an ill wind that does not benefit someone. And with people now dying sooner than expected in Britain, the slowing gains in life expectancy are boosting returns at one of Britain’s leading life insurance and investment companies. Legal & General, the UK’s largest manager of pension assets, has just reported record […]

Irish software company Intercom is to create 350 new jobs. The company, which provides a personal messaging service for businesses and their customers, will create 150 of the roles at its Dublin office, with the remainder being created in its London and San Francisco offices. The roles are set to be created over the next […]

The DAA is planning to leverage data from tens of thousands of passengers in an effort to significantly boost the €400m-plus annual retail and ancillary sales generated at Dublin and Cork airports. The semi-state agency is aiming to use existing data from 60,000 shoppers who have used its Loop retail space in both airports. It […]