News

The Government is aiming to get 75,000 long-term unemployed people back to work within two years as part of its Pathways to Work Strategy. The plan, which will be launched today, will also seek to cut the current youth unemployment rate of 44% to 12.5% by 2023. Minister for Social Protection Heather Humphreys is expected […]

Finance ministers and central bankers from the group of 20 rich countries are to meet face-to-face for the first time since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic at a gathering in Venice where corporate tax reform will top the agenda. The G20 is expected to give its political endorsement to plans for new rules on […]

A bill to amend the 1947 Public Health Act to allow vaccinated people eat and drink inside bars and restaurants is being worked on. The legislation is set to go before the Dáil and Seanad next week. The measures in the bill would effectively expire once the population was vaccinated. The Government is hoping there […]

Consumer prices rose by 1.6% in June on an annual basis on the back of higher electricity, gas and transport prices, new figures from Central Statistics Office show today. The figure for June was marginally lower than the two-year high of 1.7% in May, the CSO said. Prices had fallen on an annual basis during […]

The European Central Bank will today announce the outcome of an 18-month strategy review, redefining a inflation target seen by some as confusing and laying down what role it can play in the fight against climate change. The central bank’s first strategic review since 2003 has been one of ECB President Christine Lagarde’s priorities since […]

Representatives of the hospitality sector and senior Government officials will meet later today to assess how restaurants and pubs could reopen for indoor hospitality later this month. It is understood that the discussions are focused on how the EU Digital Covid Certificate could be used to secure admission to any premises, and how the new […]

The European Commission has revised upwards the country’s GDP growth projections to 7.2% for this year after a stronger than expected economic performance in the first quarter of 2021. This is well ahead of the 4.6% growth the Commission was predicting as recently as May and marks the second highest growth level in the EU, […]

Over 2.2 million contactless payments were made every day in May, new figures from Banking and Payments Federation Ireland show today. BPFI said this marked the highest daily level since its contactless data series began in 2016. May saw a total of 67.2 million contactless payment made over the course of the month worth over […]

Today is the last day that people can apply to receive the Pandemic Unemployment Payment, with the scheme shut to new entrants from tomorrow onwards. It was due to close to new registrations last week, but following the decision by the Government to delay the resumption of indoor hospitality, it was extended for a further […]

Tánaiste Leo Varadkar has said he expects insurance premiums will be reduced “quite soon” after preliminary data from the Personal Injuries Assessment Board suggested the average award has decreased by around 50%. The information is contained in the first implementation report of the Action Plan for Insurance Reform, which he presented to Cabinet at Dublin […]