Category: Syndicated

Robots will take half of jobs unless we act

Irish workers face an almost 50pc chance their job will be automated in little more than a decade. The stark warning that robots and other forms of automation may replace some workers came as the Government announced projects which will share €75m in funding as part of a bid to secure future jobs. Business Minister […]

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‘Paltry fine at odds with costs borne by ordinary citizens’

The paltry fine of €23,000 slapped on Irish Nationwide Building Society’s one-time head of commercial lending, Tom McMenamin, bears no relationship to the scale of losses at the now bust lender. Taxpayers sank €5.4bn into INBS, which was nationalised in 2010 during the depths of the crisis, and will claw back little or nothing of […]

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Cut to pensions tax relief will lead to mass exodus by savers, warns provider

Government proposals that could see the income tax relief on pensions cut would be calamitous for middle earners, a leading investment company has warned. Halving the reliefs would lead to a mass exodus of middle-income earners from retirement schemes, Standard Life warned. The pensions provider said reducing tax relief will mean it costs higher-rate taxpayers […]

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Pensioners are biggest losers as ‘fair’ Budget sees them out of pocket

For all his promises to “promote fairness” in his 2019 Budget, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe’s measures will see some sections of society falling further behind, with pensioners the largest single group to see their position eroded, according to a new study. The Economic and Social Research Institute assessed the impact of the budget changes compared […]

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Russia banks big users of Irish debt vehicles

Russian banks are among the heaviest users of Irish special-purpose entities (SPE), a class of unregulated structure used to raise funds. Securitisations – which bundle masses of mortgages, car loans, consumer or business loans into structures that can be borrowed against by banks and others – have become relatively well known since the financial crisis. […]

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Confidence drops over retirement provision

Almost one in two people are concerned that they are financially unprepared for retirement, according to a savings and investment index from the Bank of Ireland and the Economic and Social Research Institute. The Retirement Optimism reading dropped sharply to 99 in November from 105 in September. It is part of an overall Savings and […]

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Irish firms struggle with digital transformation to meet customer demands – new index

A quarter of Irish businesses will struggle in terms of digital transformation in meeting evolving customer demands within five years, a newly launched index has shown. Dell Technologies Digital Transformation Index (the DT Index), completed in collaboration with Intel, benchmarks 4,600 businesses across 42 countries across the globe. The study revealed that an overwhelming majority […]

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Time to check if you’re due a tax allowance windfall

Tax reliefs could be worth thousands a year to workers, but many forget to claim them, or don’t realise they can. Time is running out for workers to claim a valuable tax refund they may be entitled to. There is a four-year limit on how far back you can claim tax refunds – and so […]

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Some 50,000 customers are left with worthless insurance

Up to 50,000 Irish insurance customers have been left with no guarantee of cover after an underwriting company shut down. Danish company Qudos has gone into liquidation, with payouts on claims being put on pause. It means that Irish customers’ cover with the firm is essentially worthless, and those awaiting payment of a claim from […]

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Renters will soon be able to find out how much previous tenants charged

Renters will be able to know what a previous tenant was paying for a room under laws to be brought to Cabinet next week. Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy has indicated he can overcome legal challenges to set up a ‘rent register’. It would allow people looking to rent a room see the average prices in […]

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