Author: splash

Living wage should rise to €14.80 per hour – technical group

The reference hourly living wage rate should rise to €14.80 per hour, according to the Living Wage Technical Group (LWTG). This is an increase of 6.9%, or €0.95, compared to the previous reference rate of €13.85 per hour. The living wage is seen as the minimum rate required for a full-time worker to afford the […]

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Competition authorities given new powers to fine companies up to €10m

From today, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) will be able to fine companies for breaching Irish and EU competition law. The new powers come as the Competition Act 2022 takes effect. The main purpose of the Act is to implement an EU directive which is designed to ensure that national competition authorities across […]

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UN charter aims to promote gender equality in sustainable finance

A new United Nations charter aimed at promoting gender equality in the area of sustainable finance is being launched in Dublin this morning. The Financial Centres for Sustainability (FC4S) network has outlined ten objectives which involve the signatories bringing gender considerations into their decision-making, strategies, and operations over the next year. 21 financial networks across […]

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Irish stock market departures are symptom of wider EU malaise

Irish people have a rich history of looking to the US for a better life. That appears to be the thinking of Dublin-listed paper packaging company, Smurfit Kappa, which is joining a growing number of large Irish firms eyeing share trading in the US. But far from just being just a problem for tiny Ireland, […]

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Semi-states and public bodies most attractive employers – survey

Irish semi-state and public bodies are the most attractive employers for professionals working in Ireland, according to new research from Universum, which is part of IrishJobs. The Most Attractive Employers Index Ireland 2023 reveals shifts in the most desired employers for professionals across Ireland, with well-established semi-states and public sector organisations becoming more popular, and […]

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EU urges Ireland to speed up copper switch-off

The European Commission has urged Ireland to speed up the switching off of out-of-date copper wire networks for phone and broadband services. The switch-off of legacy copper networks is seen as a key step in the rollout of new broadband networks. The communications regulator ComReg published proposed rules around the switch-off earlier this year and […]

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Wholesale electricity prices up 10% in August, CSO data shows

Wholesale electricity prices rose in August but were still much lower year-on-year, according to the Central Statistics Office. Its latest Wholesale Price Index shows a more-than 10% increase in electricity prices compared to July. But prices were still more than 72% lower compared to August 2022. Another category to see a sharp fall in the […]

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‘”Enormous’ opportunity to double Irish exports to Canada within five years

A new report shows that Ireland’s goods exports to Canada reached a record high of €3.39 billion in 2022, while 2023 is set to be another record year, with exports in the first half of 2023 almost 90% ahead of the same time in 2022. The report, by economist Jim Power, was commissioned by the […]

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Housing commencements up 30.6% in August

New figures from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage shows that the number of new commencement notices for August rose by 30.6% compared to the same time last year. The Department said commencement notices for 2,770 new homes were received by Building Control Authorities in August, up from 2.121 units in August of […]

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Govt must balance support and inflation in budget – McGrath

The Minister for Finance has said the Government faces a challenge in the upcoming budget in getting the balance right between providing an appropriate amount of support needed for society and the economy without pushing inflation higher. But addressing the Dublin Chamber annual dinner, Michael McGrath said he is confident it will get it right. […]

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