News

Moves by Housing Minister Eoghan Murphy to scrap the ‘Help-to-Buy’ scheme may be in doubt after the State-backed lender charged with ramping up house building endorsed the policy. It provides tax breaks of up to €20,000 for first-time home buyers. Last year’s loosening of Central Bank mortgage rules and the launch of Help-to-Buy gave builders […]

A post Brexit transition period could last up to four years, Foreign Affairs Minister Simon Coveney has said. Mr Coveney said the longer the transition period the better from an Irish perspective, but that it “can’t go on forever”. “I think when we get to the point of negotiating and debating a transition arrangement, which […]

The enhanced mortgage-to-rent scheme launched by mortgage campaigner David Hall offers hope to thousands of families trapped in an arrears nightmare. The scheme enables a housing body take over the ownership of homes where mortgage holders are deep in arrears, with no prospect of getting back on track. How does it work? David Hall, of […]

Housing minister Eoghan Murphy’s hope that the Government’s ‘fast-track’ planning application system for large-scale housing developments would speed up the delivery of new homes has been dealt an early blow. An examination by the Irish Independent of the pre-planning requests received by An Bord Pleanála to date shows that at least five applications for developments […]

Families who are in deep arrears have been given fresh hope that they will be able to stay in their homes – as renters. Mortgage campaigner David Hall has done a deal with AIB to buy out hundreds of homes where the mortgage holders are in arrears. They will then be rented back to the […]

Around three exporting companies a week on average have been approved for a state-backed Brexit-ready grant since June. The Be Prepared Grant rolled out by Enterprise Ireland (EI) provides firms with up to €5,000 to get themselves in shape to deal with any potential fallout from the UK’s EU exit. It was launched in June, […]

EUROPEAN Commission plans to increase taxes on digital firms risk undermining growth and could stifle global efforts to find common solutions to tax issue, US companies operating in the EU said yesterday. The comments echo the Irish Government’s position, which is opposed to the proposals that would see some online companies with little or no […]

In some Dublin areas it has become twice as expensive to rent as it is to buy, and renters are moving back in with their parents in increasing numbers in a move to try get on the property ladder. Average rents across Ireland rose 2.8pc in the last quarter and are now €1,017.15. In comparison, […]

Large numbers of young drivers have been accused of being untruthful to their insurers. According to a new study, motorists are not being open about who is the primary driver of the car or about their profession. The survey commissioned by Liberty Insurance also found eight out of 10 drivers of all ages believe that […]

Tech giants will be able to get fast-track planning permission for data centres under processes being developed by the Department of Enterprise. The Government is devising laws to prevent a repeat of the controversy that had led to severe delays to a proposed €850m project in Athenry, Co Galway. Apple has reportedly warned officials the […]