Author: splash

ECB speeds up stimulus exit and opens path to interest rate rise

The European Central Bank has scaled back its bond-buying stimulus plan in response to inflation being driven up by the war in Ukraine, while giving itself more flexibility on the timing of a potential interest rate rise this year. “The Russian invasion of Ukraine is a watershed for Europe,” the ECB said in a statement […]

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Cut in petrol and diesel excise duty comes into effect

The price of petrol and diesel has been reduced since midnight. Late last night, the Dáil voted in favour of a cut in excise on petrol and diesel. The reduction is 20 cent per litre on petrol, 15 cent per litre on diesel and a cut of 2 cent per litre on green diesel. The […]

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Ireland ‘not in a position’ to place a cap on fuel prices

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said Ireland is not in a position to place a cap on rising fuel prices, as it is a country that must buy the majority of its own fuel. Asked about the prospect of price regulation – which has been called for by the Opposition and touted by the […]

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Irish mortgage rates see biggest rise in five years

New figures from the Central Bank show that Ireland had the second highest mortgage rates in the euro area in January, coming just after Greece. The Central Bank said the average interest rate on new Irish mortgages was 2.76% in January, up from 2.69% in December but down three basis points on the same time […]

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Plan to cut fuel excise duties to go before Dáil

It is expected that a proposal will go before the Dáil today that will cut fuel costs through a reduction in excise duties. The changes would then take effect from midnight if, as expected, the Dáil passes the financial resolution. Work was ongoing at the Department of Finance late last night on proposals to decrease […]

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Euro catches a breath ahead of ECB meeting

The battered euro took a breather today ahead of this week’s European Central Bank meeting, while commodity currencies eased from recent peaks as investors reckoned war-driven surges in energy, grains and metals could crimp long-term demand. The euro hovered around $1.0913 in Asian trade, a modest recovery from Monday’s 22-month low of $1.0806. The euro […]

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New codes of practice on pay inequality and workplace harassment

Two new statutory codes of practice have been launched to help eliminate pay inequality and tackle workplace harassment and sexual harassment. The measures were developed by the Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission. The new codes of practice, published in the week of International Women’s Day, set out the procedures and steps to ensure that […]

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Investment drives euro zone Q4 GDP growth, employment up

Euro zone economic growth was driven mainly by investment and rising inventories over the last three months of 2021, as household consumption dropped because of another wave of Covid-19 infections. The European Union’s statistics office Eurostat confirmed its earlier estimates that gross domestic product in the 19 countries sharing the euro rose 0.3% on a […]

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Enhanced security for certain card payments introduced

Higher security standards for certain card payments have come into effect. The changes are part of the ongoing rollout of Strong Customer Authentication (SCA) and relate to recurring card payments such as subscriptions where the cardholder’s details are retained for future use. From today, service providers and online retailers must process these payments in line […]

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Pandemic Unemployment Payment reduced to €208 a week

The Pandemic Unemployment Payment will be reduced to €208 a week from today, in the next step in the winding down of the scheme. People who previously earned less than €151.50 per week will receive a payment of €150. The PUP was first introduced in March 2020 and at one stage it was paid at […]

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