Category: Syndicated

Four in 10 firms failing to address data law changes

Four out of 10 businesses have not initiated plans to implement the upcoming General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Fewer than one in 10 CEO’s, IT and privacy managers surveyed by independent.ie said their company’s plans for compliance with the new data protection law are at an advanced stage. The GDPR will become law across the […]

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Taking stock of the man who put Ireland’s exchange on global map

Tom Healy rescued the Irish Stock Exchange from the threat of extinction, transforming the Dublin market from a sleepy backwater into one of the one of the leading destinations for international listed funds and debt securities. When he was appointed chief executive of the Irish Stock Exchange (ISE) in 1987, Dublin was struggling and looked […]

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Exports surge by 15pc as business sentiment defies gloom

The value of Irish goods exports was up 15pc in February, compared with the same month last year. For January and February, the value of goods exports was €19.18bn, an increase of €1.98bn when compared with the first two months of 2016. On a monthly basis, imports increased by 16pc while exports rose by 3pc. […]

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People who put off starting pension during recession to lose out heavily

People who held back on starting a pension because of the economic downturn could be big losers when it comes to retirement, new research has found. Many people have held off starting a pension, while others stopped payments, or radically cut back on contributions, due to the economic squeeze. Now it has emerged that those […]

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Retail body appoints BWG’s O’Byrne as chairman

BWG Foods managing director Willie O’Byrne has been named as the new chairman of Retail Ireland, the Ibec group that represents the sector. He will serve a two-year term and replaces outgoing chairman Conor Whelan of Eason Group. The CEO of the Maxol Group, Brian Donaldson, is taking up the role of vice-chairman. Mr O’Byrne […]

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Hopes of interest rates war as Ulster Bank makes it cheaper to get a loan

Ulster Bank is to reduce its fixed rates for new and existing customers and make it easier for them to qualify for the new interest rates. The reductions are likely to tempt other banks to cut their lending costs. Ulster Bank said that half of all new customers – including first-time buyers and switchers – […]

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Irish M&A tumbles as US gets tough on controversial deals

The value of Irish M&A has plunged 86pc since the start of this year, with deals worth €4.1bn announced in the year to date compared to almost €29bn in the same period last year. The number of deals has held up better, falling just 12pc to 97 versus 110 a year ago, according to data […]

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Offshore banks rebuked in Central Bank warning shot

The Central Bank has issued a rebuke to a number of international lenders operating in Ireland for failing to meet regulatory obligations – in a sign of the watchdog’s greater focus on the sector following the fallout from the financial crisis. The Central Bank said its latest report on offshore banks focused on the “accuracy […]

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Investors take €1.25bn of government debt in bond sale

Investors snapped up the sale of €1.25bn of government debt yesterday underscoring the robust demand for Irish bonds amid growing unease over the French presidential elections and receding hopes of any imminent change to the European Central Bank’s monetary policy. Yields for nine-year paper sank below the rate achieved for similarly dated debt in last […]

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Our ‘Phoenix’ economy will be more myth than miracle if wages don’t rise with rents

You may not have noticed it but you are living through an economic miracle – apparently. The chief economist of the Central Bank, Gabriel Fagan, introduced the country to a new economic term last week called a “Phoenix Miracle” which is how he described Ireland’s rapid economic recovery since the depths of the recession. Among […]

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