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US watchdog swoops on $55bn oil merger

US watchdog swoops on $55bn oil merger The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) yesterday obtained an asset freeze in connection with suspected fraudulent trading in Anadarko Petroleum Corp before the oil company agreed to be acquired by rival Chevron. US District Judge Gregory Woods in Manhattan granted the freeze over accounts linked to suspicious […]

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Self-employed to qualify for welfare pay of €203 a week

Self-employed to qualify for welfare pay of €203 a week Self-employed workers will be entitled to weekly jobseeker payments if they become unemployed from November. The new social insurance benefit scheme, announced today, aims to provide assurance to people setting up or running their own business. Up to €203 will be provided for nine months […]

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Decrease in number of workers earning minimum wage or less

Decrease in number of workers earning minimum wage or less There was a 9% decrease in the number of workers earning the minimum wage or less in the last three months of 2018 compared to the previous year, according to CSO figures. 7.6% of employees earned the minimum wage or less in Q4 of 2018, […]

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Govt launches plan to boost financial services sector

Govt launches plan to boost financial services sector The Government hopes to increase direct employment in the financial services sector to 50,000 by 2025, according to a new strategy launched this morning. The ‘Ireland for Finance’ plan is the latest Government initiative targetting the international financial services sector. There were 44,000 people directly employed in […]

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Mortgage approvals soar but would-be buyers wait on supply

Mortgage approvals soar but would-be buyers wait on supply NEW figures show the scale of pent-up demand among would-be home buyers with approvals running well ahead of mortgage drawdowns. Figures from the Banking and Payments Federation, which represents lenders, show that 8,577 new mortgages to the value of €1.884bn were drawn down by borrowers during […]

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Govt wants Central Bank in financial sector forum

Govt wants Central Bank in financial sector forum New structures to encourage the development of international financial services will include bringing the Central Bank into a new stakeholder engagement group with industry and see overall responsibility for promoting the sector shifting to the Department of Finance. A new strategy for the sector will be launched […]

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Increase in value and volume of mortgages drawn down

Increase in value and volume of mortgages drawn down There was an 8.9% increase in the number of mortgages drawn down in Ireland in the first quarter of this year, according to the body representing the banking, payments and fintech sectors. Figures published by the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland show 8,577 new mortgages, to […]

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Rich nations must help workers adapt to automation, says OECD

Rich nations must help workers adapt to automation, says OECD Robots and computers threaten 14% of existing jobs over the next 20 years, so countries must retrain workers for a transformed labour market, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development has warned today. In a report, the OECD estimates that in addition to the destruction […]

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Prize Bonds sales reach €574m in 2018 as fund grows to €3.4 billion

Prize Bonds sales reach €574m in 2018 as fund grows to €3.4 billion The Prize Bond Company has reported gross sales of €574m, the second highest year on record after sales of €567m in 2017 and €670m in 2016. The Prize Bond Company, which administers prize bonds on behalf of the National Treasury Management Agency, […]

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90.3% of new SME lending from top three lenders – Central Bank report

90.3% of new SME lending from top three lenders – Central Bank report A new report on lending to small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) shows that credit demand remains low, while over 90% of new lending comes from the main three lenders here – AIB, Bank of Ireland and Ulster Bank. The Central Bank’s […]

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