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The Taoiseach has announced fresh restrictions as Covid-19 infection rates surge across the country. Micheál Martin said without the success of the vaccination programme, there is “no doubt Ireland would be in full-scale lockdown”. However, he said new curbs have been introduced in a “collective effort to keep our economy and society open” and keep…

People should work from home unless it is absolutely necessary they attend in person, the Taoiseach has said. Announcing a series of measures aimed at slowing the spread of Covid-19, Micheál Martin said the Cabinet has agreed to pause the “phased and cautious return to the workplace”. The Government position since September had been for…

Euro zone gross domestic product (GDP) rose 2.2% on a quarterly basis in the three months from July to September, the European Union’s statistics office Eurostat said today. This confirmed its previous flash estimate from the end of October. Eurostat said economic growth in the 19 countries sharing the euro was 3.7% higher than in…

Recipients of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) will see the amount they receive reduced further from today. The move is part of the ongoing process of gradually winding down the payment. Those currently receiving €300 a week will see their payment fall to €250, while those on the €250 rate will see it drop to…

The Cabinet will today consider a proposal that would strongly advise people to work from home. The move is being described as far-reaching and people will be advised to attend a workplace only when it is necessary. It follows close to five hours of discussions among the Taoiseach, ministers and health officials at the Cabinet…

Returns for around 23% of properties liable to the Local Property Tax (LPT) have not yet been made, nearly a week after the deadline for submission. Revenue said it has received LPT returns for 1.5 million properties, representing 77% of the expected numbers of properties that returns for the tax should not have been made…

Accountants and companies preparing for annual returns filing cut-off date facing ‘extreme pressure’ due to pandemic working conditions. The largest accountancy body in the country wants the Companies Registration Office (CRO) to offer deadline extensions for businesses facing “extreme pressure” to meet the November 25 cut-off for annual returns. Chartered Accountants Ireland (CAI) has written…

Employers in retail and hospitality are likely to struggle to fill Christmas jobs, according to data published today by jobs site Indeed. It found that whilst postings for seasonal roles are just 2% lower than 2019, before the pandemic, the number of people searching for seasonal jobs is down 24%. Postings of available roles and…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, unless you get scammed by rogue traders. With just five weeks to go until Christmas, it is important to know your consumer rights when it comes to buying presents – both in store and online. With talk of stock shortages and shipping delays due to the pandemic…

Contactless payments have hit new record highs, while the number of people using online banking continues to grow, according to figures from Banking and Payments Federation Ireland. Almost 234 million contactless payments were made in the third quarter of the year, worth nearly €3.8 billion. The figures reveal the value of contactless payments was up…