News

Ireland’s pension system has improved slightly in the past year when compared with global peers, a new index has found. The Mercer CFA Institute Global Pension Index ranked Ireland’s retirement income system in 13th place, up one spot from a year earlier. It follows a modest increase in its index score, from 70 last year…

The seasonally adjusted number of people on the Live Register in March stood at 180,500 – a decrease of almost 1%, or 1,600 from the position in February. According to figures from the Central Statistics Office, the unadjusted total stood at 179,777 for March. Of those, almost 54% were male and just under 70% were…

The International Monetary Fund has said it expects interest rates in major economies to fall back to pre-pandemic levels because of low productivity and ageing populations. In a blog issued ahead of its latest forecast for the global economy, the Fund said increases in borrowing costs were likely to be “temporary” once high inflation is…

Revenue has sent 150,000 letters to property owners who haven’t yet paid their Local Property Tax (LPT) or made an arrangement to pay. All residential properties were required to set up their payment method by 10 January at the latest, and most did. Revenue said payment arrangements for 2023 LPT liabilities are in place on…

Euro zone consumers cut their inflation expectations in February and also took a more optimistic view on growth and unemployment, a fresh survey by the European Central Bank showed today. Euro zone inflation has started to edge down from record highs around the turn of the year. Further big falls are also likely over the…

The chief economist of the European Central Bank, Philip Lane, has said the bank’s next decision on interest rates in May will be “data-dependent” but another rise could be “appropriate” if certain economic conditions are met. Philip Lane made his remarks in an interview with the Cyprus News Agency, which was published today by the…

The amount of corporation tax collected in the first three months of this year is running €1.35 billion ahead compared to the same time last year. The latest Exchequer Returns from the Department of Finance show the public finances were just over €2 billion in deficit at the end of March, due mainly to the…

The euro zone recovery picked up pace last month but the upturn was uneven across industries and countries, according to a survey which showed price pressures remained elevated in the region. S&P Global’s Composite Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) is seen as a good gauge of overall economic health. It climbed to a 10-month high of…

Growth in the country’s service sector slowed in March, according to the latest AIB Services Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI). The data shows that the rates of increase in activity and new business moderated. The business activity index stood at 55.7, down from 58.2 in February. Readings above 50 indicate overall growth in activity. The Irish…

Retailers are being urged to apply to a €3.4m Government fund to enhance their online presence. In the latest round of the Online Retail Scheme, funded by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment and administered by Enterprise Ireland, retailers can access up to €25,000 in grant funding to strengthen their ecommerce capabilities. Since 2018,…