News

New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that Irish ports handled a total of 13.1 million tonnes of goods in the second quarter of 2022, an increase of 1% compared with the same time last year. A total of 3,085 vessels arrived in the seven main Irish ports – Bantry, Cork, Drogheda, Dublin, Rosslare, […]

Tightening markets for liquefied natural gas (LNG) worldwide and major oil producers cutting supply have put the world in the middle of “the first truly global energy crisis”. This is according to the head of the International Energy Agency (IEA). Rising imports of LNG to Europe amid the Ukraine crisis and a potential rebound in […]

The Department of Finance has said Minister Paschal Donohoe recognises that restrictions on pay create recruitment and retention problems for banks, but that there are currently no plans for a change in policy. Chairman of Bank of Ireland Patrick Kennedy met Mr Donohoe in June to express concerns over the cap on bankers’ pay. According […]

Plans to introduce longer opening hours for pubs and nightclubs will be discussed by the Cabinet this morning. Minister for Justice Helen McEntee is seeking Government approval to reform the country’s 200-year-old licensing system. Under the plan, pub opening hours would be standardised across the week giving them the option of opening from 10.30am to […]

The euro zone is likely entering a recession with business activity contracting at the fastest pace in nearly two years this month as the cost-of-living crisis keeps consumers cautious and saps demand. Factories have been particularly hard hit by energy price rises and due to supply chains still recovering from the coronavirus pandemic taking a […]

Gas demand fell by 11% in September from August, new figures show today. as temperatures were above average in most parts of the country. But Gas Network Ireland said that gas demand was up 6% in September compared to the same time last year. It said that compared to September 2021, when Covid-related public health […]

Diesel is now at its second-highest monthly average price on record, the latest fuel price survey from AA Ireland shows. The AA said the average price for petrol across the country remains at €1.84 per litre, with diesel now at €2.02 per litre, 4% more expensive than last month. Petrol is on average 11% more […]

The price of raw materials for the food industry rose last month, according to the latest Wholesale Price Index from the Central Statistics Office. However, the wholesale price of electricity fell sharply last month while inflation in construction materials continued to moderate. Overall, the rate of price increases for manufactured goods for the domestic market […]

EU leaders have agreed to press ahead with a cap on the wholesale cost of gas as a way to bring down electricity prices during talks in Brussels, which concluded in the early hours of this morning. The price cap will be conditional on safeguards to ensure it does not lead to a reduction in […]

The euro zone’s current account deficit widened in August as soaring energy costs pushed up the bloc’s import bill, data from the European Central Bank showed today. The currency bloc of 19 countries had run a current account surplus for years before Russia’s war in Ukraine. It recorded an adjusted deficit of €26.32 billion in […]