News

Bounceback in manufacturing sector gathered pace during July

THE manufacturing sector clocked up its fastest pace of growth in almost two years in July, rebounding from the worst period of the lockdown. The pace of a recovery that was under way in June accelerated last month, according to AIB’s manufacturing Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI). The index tracks growth and decline on index either […]

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Regulator says insurers should pay legal bills for customers’ business interruption cases

Insurance companies should pay the legal costs of customers who challenge refusal to pay out on business interruption claims, the Central Bank say. In updated guidance, the regulator said that where cover and related issues are disputed, the Central Bank expects firms to pay the reasonable costs of customer plaintiffs in agreed test case litigation. […]

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Family car costs fall due to drop in prices at the pumps

The cost of running a family car has fallen, largely due to lower fuel prices at the forecourts. The average cost of running a family car fell to €10,386, according to the AA’s annual survey of motoring costs. This is down €207.26 on last year. The biggest year-on-year change is due to an almost 10pc […]

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Opportunities offered for researchers and enterprises under Horizon 2020

Research and innovation is the bedrock of success for the most ambitious companies that scale internationally, diversify their export base and create jobs at home. A higher education sector and research ecosystem that is outward looking and internationally engaged, and collaborating with Irish companies, is of critical importance to Ireland’s place in the world and to […]

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An Post’s ‘one-stop shop’ for greener homes

An Post is to launch a “one-stop shop” for householders who are upgrading their homes to make them more energy efficient. The scheme involves a package that includes cheap loans, having the work carried out for homeowners, and applying for the grant for the consumer. The all-in-one approach will mean that those taking a loan […]

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Coronavirus plunges Europe’s leading economies into historic recessions

The coronavirus pandemic has plunged Europe’s leading economies into historic recessions, figures published on Friday showed. France and Spain both reported double-digit quarter-on-quarter falls in economic output in the three months to June. The figures came after both the US and Germany on Thursday reported a loss of about a tenth of their gross domestic […]

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Consumer-facing workers face most risk of long-term unemployment – study

Workers in consumer-facing industries such personal services, accommodation, and food and beverage are most at risk of slipping into long-term unemployment once State supports are removed, a study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has warned. The research paper, entitled Managing Mass Unemployment Flows During the Covid-19 Pandemic, aims to categorise claimants of […]

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Government U-turn on excluding business owners from wage subsidy

The Government has reversed a decision to exclude proprietary directors from the new Employment Wage Subsidy Scheme (EWSS) after small business owners warned the move would lead to the closure of companies. Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said late on Friday that he had asked Revenue to reinstate directors to the scheme and has also asked his […]

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No more cash: Wexford’s DoneDeal launches Stripe payments for all its buyers and sellers

Online marketplace DoneDeal has struck a deal with Stripe to make all sales and purchases on its site cashless and contact-free for the first time. Until now, users of the Wexford-based DoneDeal site – particularly popular for car shoppers – could list goods for sale online. But the sales themselves often required face-to-face cash handovers […]

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EU needs to start enforcing data protection laws properly

After the European Court of Justice (CJEU) handed down another major judgement two weeks ago in the “Schrems 2.0” data protection case, discussion has focused primarily on its potential impact on the well-known companies that gather data and transfer it between the European Union and United States. Top of the list is Facebook, the company at the […]

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