Category: Syndicated

Mortgage approvals up in May, driven by first-time buyers

New figures show the number of mortgages approved in May rose by 7.4% compared to the previous month, and were up almost 150% compared to the same time last year. Banking & Payments Federation Ireland said a total of 4,683 mortgages were approved last month. First-time buyers (FTBs) were approved for over half of the […]

Continue Reading

Level of spending during Covid-19 crisis not sustainable – Martin

The Taoiseach has said the level of spending by the Government during the Covid-19 pandemic, is “not sustainable” and must “move to the next stage”. Micheál Martin made his remarks at the opening of the National Economic Dialogue (NED) which takes place online this year. The NED allows for various interest groups to raise their […]

Continue Reading

Economy to grow 6.5% this year driven by exports, says Ibec

Employers’ group Ibec has forecast that the economy in Ireland will grow 6.5% this year driven in the main by strong exports. However, in its latest Quarterly Economic Outlook, it also predicts that unemployment will remain high at 15.6% in 2021, falling to 9.3% next year. The organisation thinks consumer spending will bounce back from […]

Continue Reading

House prices rising at much faster rate outside Dublin

Asking prices for houses nationally jumped 13% in the second quarter of the year compared to the same period last year, according to two separate reports by property websites Daft.ie and Myhome.ie. Both pieces of research also found that listed prices have risen at a much faster rate outside Dublin than in the capital. According […]

Continue Reading

NPHET to meet over advice on July reopening

The National Public Health Emergency Team is to meet on Monday to consider its advice to Government on whether or not to further ease Covid-19 restrictions from 5 July. The meeting means that Cabinet could take a decision on the issue on Tuesday. Taoiseach Micheál Martin is understood to have spoken with Chief Medical Officer […]

Continue Reading

Restauranteurs seek meeting with Govt on reopening plan

The Chief Executive of the Restaurants Association of Ireland has said that he has called for an urgent meeting with the Government to discuss speculation around a pause on reopening of indoor hospitality. Speaking to RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Adrian Cummins said the Association “needs to know very clearly what percentage of the population needs to […]

Continue Reading

26% planning a holiday abroad for September, survey reveals

Over a quarter of Irish people are planning a holiday abroad for September, while 22% are planning an overseas trip for October, according to a survey by online travel agent Click&Go. Nearly 2,500 people between the ages of 18 and 65 took part in the survey, with the majority of respondents aged 35 or older. […]

Continue Reading

Over 200,000 housing units need to be built over next 3 years – Davy

Over 200,000 housing units will need to be built in Ireland over the next three years, according to a new report from Davy. Its chief economist Conall MacCoille has estimated that based on the population growing by 240,000 over the past five years there is a “latent” demand for housing for which supply has not […]

Continue Reading

ESRI predicting over 11% growth in economy this year

The Economic and Social Research Institute is forecasting double-digit growth in the economy this year. In its latest Quarterly Survey, the ESRI predicts the economy will grow by just over 11% mainly due to strong demand for exports. The ESRI believes the recovery in the economy is well under way and will pick up pace […]

Continue Reading

The risks of climate change to the economy

The Central Bank’s Financial Stability Review (FSR) is, as the title suggests, one of its big tome publications published twice a year, which goes into great detail on various threats to the financial system. Being Ireland, this normally boils down to a public discussion over rules on mortgage lending and what’s happening in the property […]

Continue Reading