Archive for September 2023

Inflation is estimated to have risen to an annual rate of 5% in September, according to the latest “flash” estimate from the Central Statistics Office. This compares to 4.9% in August and marks the second month in a row that inflation has risen. Inflation is estimated to have risen marginally by 0.1% from August to…

Demand for property is holding up, despite interest rate increases, and an ongoing supply shortage is supporting prices, the latest House Price Report from property listings website daft.ie suggests. The report captured a 1.1% increase in asking prices for properties in the three months to September compared to the prior three month period. In the…

There was a huge drop in the number of people switching their mortgages in August compared to the same time last year, new figures show. The latest report from Banking and Payments Federation Ireland reveals an almost 80% drop in switching and remortgage activity. Just over 300 mortgages were approved for this group in August,…

The Minister for Finance has said there appears to be a “levelling-off” of the growth in corporation tax compared to the extraordinary levels in recent years. Michael McGrath made his remarks in his opening address to the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Budgetary Oversight. His colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure, National Development Plan and Reform,…

Representatives of the country’s main banks have defended their policies around the passing on of interest rate increases to customers when they appear before an Oireachtas committee later. In opening statements delivered at the Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform, and Taoiseach, Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) claimed banks have taken a balanced…

The National Competitiveness and Productivity Council has published its annual Challenge Report, which outlines some of the key issues facing the economy. Chair of the Council Dr Frances Ruane said “failure to develop and implement appropriate policies now to address new developments, including decarbonisation and tipping points in digital technologies, could leave Ireland in a…

There has been a notable increase in the number of domestic electricity customers falling into arrears since the end of the Government’s Emergency Electricity Credit in March, according to an updated report from the Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU). The numbers of domestic gas customers falling into arrears has also been rising. Disconnections for…

The reference hourly living wage rate should rise to €14.80 per hour, according to the Living Wage Technical Group (LWTG). This is an increase of 6.9%, or €0.95, compared to the previous reference rate of €13.85 per hour. The living wage is seen as the minimum rate required for a full-time worker to afford the…

From today, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) will be able to fine companies for breaching Irish and EU competition law. The new powers come as the Competition Act 2022 takes effect. The main purpose of the Act is to implement an EU directive which is designed to ensure that national competition authorities across…

A new United Nations charter aimed at promoting gender equality in the area of sustainable finance is being launched in Dublin this morning. The Financial Centres for Sustainability (FC4S) network has outlined ten objectives which involve the signatories bringing gender considerations into their decision-making, strategies, and operations over the next year. 21 financial networks across…