Consumer confidence here hit a 14-month high this month, as concerns eased about the economic outlook. Hopes for additional Government measures to offer some respite from price pressures may also have boosted sentiment, the Credit Union Consumer Sentiment Index suggests. Confidence continues to be fragile though, with a majority of consumers still feeling that the […]
News & Resources
Out of this world: Interview with Astronaut Candidate Dr. Norah Patten
Dr. Norah Patten is an Aeronautical Engineer at the Global Faculty of the Space University and a Bioastronautics Researcher at the International Institute for Astronautical Sciences. She is a Citizen Scientist-Astronaut Candidate and an award-winning author and STEM advocate. Her goal is to fly on a suborbital spaceflight. Dr. Patten will be speaking about space […]
Top EU court to hear commission’s Apple tax case appeal
The EU’s highest court will today hear the European Commission’s appeal against a ruling overturning the executive’s 2016 finding that Apple had underpaid €13.1 billion in tax due to Ireland. If the Commission wins, the money will be paid over to the Irish State. The case dates back to a European Commission probe which seven […]
Facebook owner Meta fined record €1.2bn by Irish regulator for violating European privacy rules
Ireland’s data regulator has imposed a record €1.2 billion fine on Facebook owner Meta for violating European privacy rules, in a move that takes total penalties against the company above €2 billion. The sanction handed down on Monday by Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon followed a long investigation into transfers by Facebook of Europeans’ personal […]
Hydrogen e-fuel production could create 10,500 jobs here – report
10,500 jobs could be created across the country by 2050 through the production of sustainable aviation fuels for use in aircraft and shipping that are derived from hydrogen, a new report finds. The analysis, by Hydrogen Mobility Ireland, also predicts that up to €230m per year could be added to the Irish economy through the […]
Calls to consumer helpline about utilities and fuel doubled last year
Eir, Bord Gáis and Harvey Norman topped the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission’s list for consumer complaints last year. Ryanair, Sky, Currys, Vodafone, Aer Lingus, Ticketmaster and PowerCity made up the rest of the ten most complained about businesses, the CCPC’s 2022 Contacts Report shows. The CCPC provides free and independent information on consumer rights […]
Biden’s Ireland visit to mark 25th anniversary of Good Friday Agreement
President Joe Biden has confirmed that he intends to visit Northern Ireland and the Republic to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement. He is expected to travel to a number of locations on both sides of the border next month. No dates have yet been confirmed for the trip and the US […]
Warning issued about serious rise in investment scams
Consumers have been warned of a serious rise in highly convincing investment scams that are being carried out by fraudsters. The scams are particularly targeted at those over the age of 55, with a minimum investment of €20,000 or more. The FraudSMART awareness initiative from the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI) says the scams […]
76% would turn down jobs that do not meet flexible working needs – study
A new study has found that 76% of jobseekers would turn down roles that do not meet their flexible working needs. The Cpl Salary Guide 2023 shows that while salaries are rising, there is still a big focus on flexible working. According to the research, employees are seeking more than just a good wage, with […]
Tech job cuts need to be put in perspective – Davy
The size of recent job cuts in the tech sector is still relatively small and only likely to partially reverse aggressive hiring in the past 12 to 18 months, according to stockbroker Davy. In a note to clients, chief economist Conall MacCoille said the cutbacks should be viewed in the context of a 9% or […]
Aldi to create 360 new jobs
Supermarket chain Aldi has announced 360 new jobs across the country. The company says the new roles arise because of the ongoing expansion of its network of shops. It currently has 155 stores employing over 4,650 people in Ireland and has plans for a further six shops this year. The business also says it is […]
Unemployment rate drops slightly in December to 4.3% – CSO
The unemployment rate declined marginally in December to 4.3% from 4.4% in November, according to the Central Statistics Office. This compares to a rate of 5.1% in December 2021. It’s also lower than the 4.8% recorded in December 2019, before the pandemic. The seasonally adjusted number of people unemployed was 114,500 in December last year, […]
Historic UK rocket mission ends in failure
Britain’s attempt to become the first European nation to launch satellites into space ended in bitter disappointment overnight when Virgin Orbit said its rocket had suffered an anomaly that prevented it from reaching orbit. The “horizontal launch” mission had left from the coastal town of Newquay in southwest England. Virgin’s LauncherOne rocket was carried under […]
Twitter suspends some journalist accounts, EU warns of possible sanctions
The EU has warned Elon Musk that Twitter could be subject to sanctions under a future media law after the “worrying” suspension of several journalists from the messaging platform. “News about arbitrary suspension of journalists on Twitter is worrying. EU’s Digital Services Act requires respect of media freedom and fundamental rights. This is reinforced under […]
Meta fined €265m by Irish watchdog for data breach
Facebook parent company Meta has been fined €265 million by the Irish Data Protection Commission (DPC) following a data breach which saw the personal details of hundreds of millions of Facebook users published online.In April 2021, the DPC launched an investigation after data including names, phone numbers and email addresses of up to 533 million […]
Analysis finds excise duty fuel cuts did not immediately pass onto customers
A pricing analysis of 50% of the fuel stations in the State shows that cuts in excise duty by the Government last March were passed onto customers, although not always immediately. The analysis was carried out by the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CPCC) following 200 complaints from consumers impacted by rocketing fuel price increases. […]
Meta planning large-scale job cuts this week Wall Street Journal reports
Facebook parent Meta is planning to begin large-scale layoffs this week that will affect thousands of employees, the Wall Street Journal has reported citing people familiar with the matter. It said that an announcement is planned as early as Wednesday. Meta declined to comment on the WSJ report. The company employs 83,500 people globally, with […]
1 in 8 switchers yet to decide on new banking provider – CCPC
One in eight consumers who are in the position of having to switch banking providers, because of the impending departure of Ulster Bank and KBC, have yet to decide on a new provider. That compares to one in four in July. The latest round of research from the Consumer and Competition Protection Commission found that […]
Finance Ireland suspends longer term mortgage products
Non-bank lender Finance Ireland has announced that it is temporarily suspending the offer of fixed rate mortgage products of periods of 10 years or more to new applicants. The company blamed volatility on interest rates internationally. However, it said it plans to reopen applications for such products “in due course when more normal markets return”. […]
Kerry Mental Health and Wellbeing Fest taking place in October
The Kerry Mental Health and Wellbeing Fest will take place from October 8th to 15th. This year’s theme is ‘my mental health matters’ and the festival will include a wide range of in-person and online events for all ages. Irish sports stars and entertainers, including Kerry footballer Sean O’Shea and magician Keith Barry, are getting […]
Panda Power confirms exit from Irish energy market
Electricity and gas supplier Panda Power has confirmed its intention to make a controlled exit from the Irish energy supply market. The supplier has around 50,000 electricity customers and 10,000 gas customers. Its planned exit follows the departure of Glowpower, Bright Energy and Iberdrola from the Irish market earlier this year. The company said the decision has been reluctantly […]