Author: splash

The number of cars on Irish roads has hit pre-pandemic levels, but there are fewer people travelling on public transport. This comes as ESRI behavioural research shows that while public levels of worry over contracting Covid-19 are decreasing, people consider public transport as a “high risk” activity when it comes to catching the virus. Data […]

New figures show that spending in pubs and bars more than tripled on the day Covid-19 restrictions on socialising were eased. The latest Revolut Spending Report shows that the amount of money spent in bars was 212% higher on January 22 than it had been the day before, when the 8pm curfew was still in […]

Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said the Government will look to see what it can do to alleviate pressure quickly on those who are hardest hit by inflation. He said this is “not going to be a mini-budget” but it will look at a range of charges from health to transport to see what it can […]

Banking staff nationwide are being trained to spot the signs of financial abuse and coercive control. The move follows research which found that over 20% of women aged 18 to 34 do not have control of their finances. The Banking & Payments Federation of Ireland says younger women also find it difficult to collect money […]

The European Central Bank kept policy unchanged as expected today, curbing stimulus over the coming months but maintaining plenty of support for the economy even after inflation unexpectedly hit a fresh record high. After the ECB extended support measures only in December, policy change was not expected to be on the agenda. But stubbornly high […]

The Government faces a difficult decision on how to tackle the rising cost of living for poorer families while balancing environmental considerations, according to Professor of Economics at University of Limerick, Stephen Kinsella. High inflation is being driven by rising energy costs, and should the Government choose to subsidise fuel, it will have a negative […]

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar have both signalled that the Government is going to take further actions to counter the rising cost of living. Opposition parties have regularly accused the Coalition of not doing enough to help off-set a spike in inflation. Addressing the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party last night, Mr Martin said […]

Growth in the country’s service sector picked up in January as some firms reported a pick-up in trading conditions and consumer confidence following the lifting of almost all Covid-19 restrictions, a survey found today. The AIB IHS Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) moved up to 56.2 in January from 55.4 in December. The rate of […]

The unemployment rate rose marginally in January to 5.3%, up from 5.2% in December, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show today. When those on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) are included, the rate moved up to 7.8% from 7.4% in December. This compares to a jobless rate of 27.1%, including those on the […]

The qualifying age for the State Pension should remain at age 66, the Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection has recommended. In a report published today, the committee also calls for legislation to ban mandatory retirement clauses in employment contracts. And it is seeking flexibility to allow those with 40 years’ contributions to access their State […]