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Once-off Budget measures will insulate ‘most households’ – ESRI

The package of once-off measures announced as part of this week’s Budget will insulate “most households” from higher energy prices this winter, according to the ESRI. The analysis, which will be presented at a post-Budget briefing today, also warns that unless the once-off measures are repeated next year, many low-income households will see real cuts […]

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Tánaiste to discuss recommendations on pay, conditions at gender equality committee

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar is to appear before the Oireachtas Committee on Gender Equality today to discuss the recommendations of the Citizens’ Assembly on Gender Equality regarding pay and workplace conditions. In its report, the Citizens’ Assembly recommended that the State should set targets in legislation to reduce the hourly gender pay gap to 9% by […]

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Stocks bounce but sterling slippery after BoE buys bonds

Asian share markets rose today after Britain’s central bank launched an emergency bond buying programme to stabilise a furious sell-off in gilts, though trade was skittish and sterling remained under pressure. The Bank of England said it will buy as much as £5 billion a day of long-dated government bonds until October 14. It spent […]

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Switching activity drives growth in mortgage approvals

Just over 5,500 mortgages were approved in August, up 5.5% on the previous month and 21.3% compared with the same period last year. New figures from Banking and Payments Federation Ireland show that almost 45% of the mortgages approved were for first-time buyers, while just over 20% were for mover purchasers. In total, the mortgages […]

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Budget’s political test will be when big winter bills arrive

It was, according to the Minister for Public Expenditure, Michael McGrath, a “budget for its times”. The biggest ever giveaway, in pure monetary terms, was necessitated by the emergency period we are living through. Just when things might have been expected to return to normal after a once in a lifetime pandemic, a new crisis […]

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Tánaiste ‘does not envisage’ mini-budget next year

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said he does not envisage a mini-budget being implemented next year. Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Mr Varadkar said Budget 2023 is being front-loaded with most of the one-off payments before Christmas, while permanent increases in payments, pensions and welfare will come into effect in the New Year. Two of the […]

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At a glance: Here are the key points from Budget 2023

The Government has pledged to spend billions – but how much of all this extra monetary support will make it into your pocket? With winter looming amid an unprecedented cost of living crisis, now is the time for people to plan their own family budgets for the months and year ahead. Here are some of […]

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€11bn Budget announced due to ‘exceptionally challenging times’

Minister for Public Expenditure Michael McGrath said he is making €100 million available in 2022 to ensure schools are supported in dealing with energy cost pressures and transport providers. He said an additional €10 million will also be provided for further and higher education institutions. €60 million is being allocated to Local Authorities, and €110 […]

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Two new schemes set to help businesses with energy costs

The Government looks set to unveil two new schemes worth over a billion euro to assist businesses with rising energy costs in tomorrow’s budget. It is understood that the first will be a €200m scheme which will be administered by Enterprise Ireland. It will target larger energy intensive firms that are involved in exporting and […]

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Falling pound pauses as investors await policy response

Sterling steadied this morning but was perched above its record low only thanks to soaring yields on British debt and the hope of a response from policymakers or politicians. The pound’s movements were unnerving markets to the benefit of the dollar. On Friday and again yesterday the pound plunged, finding a record low of $1.0327 […]

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