News

Rental costs were up again in January despite the rate of inflation falling back, new official figures show. Private rents rose by 6.3pc in the year to January, despite overall prices going up by just 0.2pc, according to the Central Statistics Office. For the month of January, overall prices fell by 0.7pc – but this […]

Last year saw a 6pc increase in turnover in card sales for Ireland’s pub sector, according to AIB’s 2018 Pubs Outlook. Food was a key driver of growth for the period, with food service in pubs reaching a market size of €982m in 2017, up 3pc year-on-year. And increasing numbers of Irish publicans are accepting […]

The Aran Islands will form part of an EU study to see if hydrogen can be produced using renewable energy to power cars, boats and heat buildings. The €3.5m project led by NUI Galway will also see construction of a hydrogen plant on the Canary Islands, where up to 25kg of hydrogen gas a day […]

ALMOST 4,000 jobs were created last year by startups and small businesses backed by their Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs). This brings the total number of jobs created by LEO-supported companies to 15,000 since the LEOs were established in 2014. Yesterday’s announcement of some 3,700 jobs created in 2017 was welcomed by the Minister for Business, […]

In discussion with Mark Kellett, CEO Magnet Networks, we ask is your business fit for 2018? What should be front of mind to ensure your company is in the right shape and securely and safely primed for growth and expansion? When it comes to the centre point of all business – communication – the four […]

Young people are turning their backs on Facebook, according to a new report. Two million people under the age of 25 will stop using the social network this year, research firm eMarketer predicted. Facebook has a “teen problem”, the company said, adding that it expects fewer and fewer young social media users to continue to […]

ALMOST 4,000 jobs were created last year by startups and small businesses backed by their Local Enterprise Offices (LEOs). This brings the total number of jobs created by LEO-supported companies to 15,000 since the LEOs were established in 2014. Yesterday’s announcement of some 3,700 jobs created in 2017 was welcomed by the Minister for Business, […]

Consumer sentiment rose to a 17 year high in January, as people start to feel the benefits of the economic recovery. The latest KBC Bank Ireland/ESRI consumer sentiment index found that the sentiment increased to 110.4 in January, from 103.2 in December. This is the highest level of confidence seen from consumers since February 2001. […]

The construction sector here made a strong start to the year, posting faster increases in activity, new orders and employment, as well as seeing confidence improve again. But input costs rose to their highest extent in 11 years. That’s according to the Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers’ Index. It rose to 61.4 in January, from […]