Author: splash

Texts and phone calls down, data usage up

A new report reveals that mobile phone users are sending less texts and making less calls, but using more data. New figures from the Commission for Communications Regulation, ComReg show on average people make 145 minutes of calls every month, down over 26% on the same time last year. The amount of text messages being […]

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Higher mortgage rates, oil costs push inflation to 6.3%

Inflation rose at an annual rate of 6.3% in August, up from 5.8% in July, according to the latest Central Statistics Office figures. Inflation took a step in the wrong direction last month with the increase mostly driven by higher mortgage interest rates and higher prices for home heating oil and motor fuels. The recent […]

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Women encouraged to consider construction careers

The shortage of construction workers is one of the biggest challenges facing the building industry amid warnings that there is not enough skilled labour to meet the demand for housing. Efforts are under way to try to encourage more women to enter the sector. Samantha Kelly works for Glenveagh Construction Programmes have also been launched […]

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Commercial vacancy rate hits 14.1% – highest on record

There were 29,798 vacant commercial units recorded across the country between April and June. There were 29,798 vacant commercial units recorded across the country between April and June. By Gill Stedman The commercial vacancy rate in Ireland has hit 14.1%, the highest level since GeoDirectory started recording the data ten years ago. GeoDirectory is Ireland’s […]

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Banking industry’s new support measures for mortgage customers

The main Irish bank and non-bank lenders have agreed a new set of criteria designed to provide clear guidance to mortgage holders whose loans are managed by credit servicing on how they could potentially switch their loan to another provider. The criteria lay out agreed requirements that borrowers whose mortgages are with credit servicers would […]

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Euro zone August downturn deeper than was thought – PMIs

The decline in euro zone business activity accelerated faster than initially thought last month as the bloc’s dominant services industry fell into contraction. This is according to a survey which suggests the bloc could drop into recession. HCOB’s final Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI), compiled by S&P Global and seen as a good barometer of […]

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National Broadband Plan marks 50,000th connection in Cork

The company marked the latest milestone in the NBP rollout at a farm in rural Co Cork. Peter Hendrick, the chief executive of National Broadband Ireland, the number of of homes, farms and businesses connected to the NBI network has doubled in the last nine months. “Over 180,000 premises are ready to connect by signing […]

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Banking industry’s new support measures for mortgage customers

The main Irish bank and non-bank lenders have agreed a new set of criteria designed to provide clear guidance to mortgage holders whose loans are managed by credit servicing on how they could potentially switch their loan to another provider. The criteria lay out agreed requirements that borrowers whose mortgages are with credit servicers would […]

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Corporation tax take in August down over €1bn on last year

The amount of corporation tax collected in August was over a billion euro less than the amount taken in the same month last year. In a statement, the Department of Finance said ‘a sharp decline’ had been expected but the 36% drop was ‘somewhat higher than anticipated.’ In August last year, the public finances received […]

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Study reveals stress and financial woes facing workers

Many employees are increasingly feeling cash-strapped as inflation continues to impact their ability to spend, according to a survey of Irish workers by PwC. The proportion of the Irish respondents who said that they are able to pay all the bills and have money left over for savings, holidays etc at the end of the […]

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