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Euro zone GDP falls short of expectations, inflation picks up

Euro zone economic growth was slower than expected in the last three months of 2019, a first estimate showed today.  Meanwhile, inflation in January picked up in line with expectations thanks to a jump in prices of food, alcohol and tobacco and energy.  The European Union’s statistics office Eurostat said gross domestic product in the […]

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Nearly 140 governments agree to launch rewrite of international tax rules

Nearly 140 governments have agreed to launch a rewrite of decades-old cross-border tax rules for the digital age over the coming months, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation said after talks this week in Paris.  The rise of Amazon, Facebook and Google has strained existing rules to breaking point because big tech companies can book profits in […]

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First time buyers continue to drive mortgage market

First time buyer activity continued to drive the mortgage market in the final three months of last year, new figures from the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland show. A total of 12,259 mortgages to the value of almost €2.77 billion were drawn down in the three months from October to December. This represented an increase […]

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Stocks recover from coronavirus scares

European stock markets rebounded on Tuesday, having lost ground in recent sessions due to fears of the impact of China’s coronavirus outbreak. Banks and luxury goods companies led the recovery, while leisure and airline stocks also clawed back losses as investors took the view that the right steps were being taken to contain the illness. […]

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Construction sector under Celtic Tiger levels of pressure – report

The construction sector is under Celtic Tiger levels of pressure and is in danger of overheating, according to a new report from construction consultants Mitchell McDermott. The report says 30,000 additional construction workers are required if housing targets are to be met. It says construction output grew by 12% last year, but the number of workers only […]

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Dublin world’s 17th most congested city – report

A new report shows that Dublin is the 17th most congested city in the world, with motorists spending an average of eight days and 21 hours sitting in peak traffic a year. The TomTom Traffic Index examines the traffic situation in 416 cities in 57 countries around the world.  The report showed that congestion has […]

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Retail sales rebound in December – CSO

The volume of retail sales increased by 5.8% on an annual basis in December compared to annual growth of 1.4% in November, the Central Statistics Office said today. Today’s figures show that retail sales volumes rose by 3.6% in December from November, with sales of food, beverages and tobacco; and cars showing the largest increase. […]

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EU says member states can ban or restrict high-risk suppliers from their 5G networks

EU countries including Ireland can restrict or ban high-risk 5G vendors from core parts of their telecoms networks, according to new EU guidelines published today. The move is likely to hurt China’s Huawei but unlikely to appease the United States. The non-binding recommendations, agreed by the bloc’s 28 countries, seek to tackle cyber-security risks at […]

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Mortgage arrears fall again in third quarter – Central Bank

New figures from the Central Bank show that the number of homeowners in arrears for more than three months fell to a nine-year-low of 5.9% in the third quarter from 6% at the end of June.  The Central Bank also said the decline in the number of home mortgages in arrears for two or more […]

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Six euro zone banks fall short of ECB capital demands

Six euro zone banks have fallen short of the European Central Bank’s capital demands and have been told to shore up their balance sheets or face tighter controls.  The ECB’s annual review of banks comes as many lenders are struggling to make money in an environment of ultra-low interest rates. They are also facing high […]

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