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Ulster Bank urges customers to get ready for changes

Ulster Bank is encouraging customers to get ready for changes coming next year as part of the bank’s withdrawal from the Irish market, which was first announced in February. But the bank said it is continuing to serve its existing customers, so no action is required by them yet. Ulster Bank said it will contact […]

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30% of households have filed Local Property Tax return

Around 30% of households liable for the Local Property Tax have filed their return, ahead of the deadline which is just over a week away. Revenue said around 95% of those returned were filed online in either My Account, ROS or the LPT Online Portal. The deadline for filing is 7 November. “Before submitting the […]

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Changes to employment permit system to address shortages

Changes are being introduced to the employment permit system to allow a greater number of workers from outside the European Economic Area work here. The changes will include the removal of quotas for HGV drivers, as well as additional permits for hospitality managers and a loosening of the rules for construction workers, opticians and meat […]

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IoD: 33% of boards have no succession plan

One third of business leaders say their primary board does not have a succession plan in place to replace board members, according to new data from the Institute of Directors (IoD) in Ireland. “A board with no succession plan is not future-proofing its business nor planning for the board diversity which is essential for an […]

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Global tax rate could see Ireland collect extra €12.4bn

Ireland could collect an extra €12.4 billion in corporation tax under the proposed 15% global minimum rate. That’s according to figures published today by the EU Tax Observatory, an independent think-tank based in Paris that receives funding from the EU. Based on OECD tax figures for 2016 and 2017, the Observatory estimates that the rule […]

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Third quarter mortgage drawdowns jump by 40.9% – BPFI

New figures show that the volume of new mortgages drawn down in the third quarter of this year jumped by 40.9% compared to the same time last year. Banking & Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) said a total of 11,479 new mortgages, worth €2.784 billion, were drawn down by borrowers during the third quarter of 2021- […]

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Progress on talks over collective bargaining rights – ICTU

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions says some progress has been made in talks with the government on collective bargaining rights, which is one of the main issues on the agenda for discussion during ICTU’s two day biennial conference in Belfast. ICTU delegates will discuss a number of motions on collective bargaining rights tomorrow. Speaking […]

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Farming – a big problem for Ireland’s climate goals?

According to Teagasc, the semi-state agency that advises the agriculture industry, dairy farming is the most profitable of Ireland’s mainstream agricultural enterprises. Data from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) shows that, in 2020, the number of dairy cows on Irish farms rose for the 10th consecutive year, climbing by 3.2%. Profits in the sector are […]

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Recommendation on minimum pay rates for construction workers approved

A Labour Court recommendation for new minimum pay rates to workers in the construction sector has been formally approved by Minister of State for Business, Employment and Retail Damien English. The Sectoral Employment process is a statutory wage setting mechanism based on the principles of collective bargaining. It provides an independent assessment of pay rates […]

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Consumer confidence slipped in October – BOI Economic Pulse

Consumer confidence slipped in October, according to the latest Pulse survey from Bank of Ireland, which found that consumers were more concerned about rising prices. The Bank of Ireland Economic Pulse posted a reading of 87.6 in October 2021. The index, which combines the results of the Consumer and Business Pulses, was down 0.6 on […]

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