Category: Syndicated

Irish mortgage rates see surprise dip in February

New figures from the Central Bank show that the average interest rate on a new mortgage dipped in February to 2.92% from 2.93% in January. Ireland once again had the third cheapest mortgage rates in the euro zone in February. The euro zone average mortgage rate rose to 3.33%, almost three times the rate it […]

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Inbound tourism visits during Q1 still down 16% on pre-pandemic levels

The number of international visitors to Ireland over the first three months of the year remained down 16% compared to the same period in 2019, before the pandemic hit. According to data compiled by the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation (ITIC), 1.7m people visited Ireland from overseas between January and the end of March. But the […]

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Live register numbers down almost 1% in March – CSO

The seasonally adjusted number of people on the Live Register in March stood at 180,500 – a decrease of almost 1%, or 1,600 from the position in February. According to figures from the Central Statistics Office, the unadjusted total stood at 179,777 for March. Of those, almost 54% were male and just under 70% were […]

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Interest rates likely to fall to pre-pandemic levels – IMF

The International Monetary Fund has said it expects interest rates in major economies to fall back to pre-pandemic levels because of low productivity and ageing populations. In a blog issued ahead of its latest forecast for the global economy, the Fund said increases in borrowing costs were likely to be “temporary” once high inflation is […]

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150,000 letters sent about unpaid Local Property Tax

Revenue has sent 150,000 letters to property owners who haven’t yet paid their Local Property Tax (LPT) or made an arrangement to pay. All residential properties were required to set up their payment method by 10 January at the latest, and most did. Revenue said payment arrangements for 2023 LPT liabilities are in place on […]

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Euro zone consumers more optimistic on inflation – ECB survey

Euro zone consumers cut their inflation expectations in February and also took a more optimistic view on growth and unemployment, a fresh survey by the European Central Bank showed today. Euro zone inflation has started to edge down from record highs around the turn of the year. Further big falls are also likely over the […]

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ECB may need to increase rates again in May – Lane

The chief economist of the European Central Bank, Philip Lane, has said the bank’s next decision on interest rates in May will be “data-dependent” but another rise could be “appropriate” if certain economic conditions are met. Philip Lane made his remarks in an interview with the Cyprus News Agency, which was published today by the […]

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Corporation tax take jumps by 71% in first quarter of 2023

The amount of corporation tax collected in the first three months of this year is running €1.35 billion ahead compared to the same time last year. The latest Exchequer Returns from the Department of Finance show the public finances were just over €2 billion in deficit at the end of March, due mainly to the […]

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Euro zone recovery gathered pace in March on demand for services – PMI

The euro zone recovery picked up pace last month but the upturn was uneven across industries and countries, according to a survey which showed price pressures remained elevated in the region. S&P Global’s Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is seen as a good gauge of overall economic health. It climbed to a 10-month high of […]

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Growth in service sector slows in March

Growth in the country’s service sector slowed in March, according to the latest AIB Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI). The data shows that the rates of increase in activity and new business moderated. The business activity index stood at 55.7, down from 58.2 in February. Readings above 50 indicate overall growth in activity. The Irish […]

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