News

Used car sales reach highest ever level in 2019 – CSO

New figures from the Central Statistics Office show the number of new cars licensed for the first time fell by 6.5% in 2019, while the number of used car sales rose by 9.5% to reach its highest ever level. The CSO said that a total of 113,305 new private cars were licensed for the first […]

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USC threshold increasing due to rise in minimum wage

The threshold for USC is to be raised to allow for a previously announced increase in the minimum wage. This will benefit all taxpayers as well as ensuring those on the minimum wage will continue to pay USC at a maximum rate of 2%.  Last month the government announced it had decided to raise the minimum […]

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December grocery sales pass €1 billion for first time

The grocery market hit a new milestone over the Christmas weeks, as sales in December passed the €1 billion for the first time ever. The latest figures from Kantar show that although sales growth slowed in the 12 weeks to 29 December, the grocery market weathered difficult trading conditions to increase overall sales by 1.5% […]

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Davy upgrades GDP growth forecast for 2020 to 5.5%

Stockbrokers Davy have revised upwards their GDP growth forecast for 2020 to 5.5% from 4.1% previously. Davy said the upgrade came on the back of strong foreign direct investment, expansion in the multinational sector and an exceptional export performance. The new forecasts puts Davy well above official projections including the Central Bank’s estimate of 4.3% […]

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Mortgage holders benefit from – and need – advice, says ESRI

The Economic and Social Research Institute has found that mortgage holders can get a better deal when they read independent advice.  However, the think tank also found some serious misunderstandings about how mortgages work.  The ESRI and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission brought together a sample of 110 people with mortgages and gave them […]

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Proposed laws aim to create new online safety regulator

Internet and social media services could in future be blocked for not complying with online safety rules, if draft new legislation published by the Government today comes into force. Under the proposed new laws, internet companies will be legally obliged to comply with new online safety codes. If the legislation is passed by the Oireachtas, […]

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Numbers signing on Live Register fall again in December – CSO

The number of people signing on the Live Register is at the lowest level since January 2008, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show.  The CSO said the Live Register total recorded a monthly decrease of 1,100 in December, which brought the seasonally adjusted total to 185,300.  In unadjusted terms, a total of 181,996 […]

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Monthly retail sales sink by 3.3% in November – CSO

New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that annual growth in retail sales volumes slowed to 1.4% in November from growth of almost 4% in the previous two months.  Retail sales volumes were 3.3% lower in November than October, today’s figures showed, with sales of medical and cosmetic goods and food, beverages and tobacco […]

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NTMA to hold one bond auction in Q1 after early syndicated sale

The National Treasury Management Agency said it will hold one bond auction in the first quarter of the year on March 12. The NTMA covered around a third of its funding target for 2020 with a syndicated sale yesterday. It kicked off its funding drive by raising €4 billion via a new 15-year bond sale […]

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Numbers signing on Live Register fall again in December – CSO

The number of people signing on the Live Register is at the lowest level since January 2008, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show.  The CSO said the Live Register total recorded a monthly decrease of 1,100 in December, which brought the seasonally adjusted total to 185,300.  In unadjusted terms, a total of 181,996 […]

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