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The Government faces a difficult decision on how to tackle the rising cost of living for poorer families while balancing environmental considerations, according to Professor of Economics at University of Limerick, Stephen Kinsella. High inflation is being driven by rising energy costs, and should the Government choose to subsidise fuel, it will have a negative…

The European Central Bank kept policy unchanged as expected today, curbing stimulus over the coming months but maintaining plenty of support for the economy even after inflation unexpectedly hit a fresh record high. After the ECB extended support measures only in December, policy change was not expected to be on the agenda. But stubbornly high…

Banking staff nationwide are being trained to spot the signs of financial abuse and coercive control. The move follows research which found that over 20% of women aged 18 to 34 do not have control of their finances. The Banking & Payments Federation of Ireland says younger women also find it difficult to collect money…

The unemployment rate rose marginally in January to 5.3%, up from 5.2% in December, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show today. When those on the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) are included, the rate moved up to 7.8% from 7.4% in December. This compares to a jobless rate of 27.1%, including those on the…

Growth in the country’s service sector picked up in January as some firms reported a pick-up in trading conditions and consumer confidence following the lifting of almost all Covid-19 restrictions, a survey found today. The AIB IHS Markit Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI) moved up to 56.2 in January from 55.4 in December. The rate of…

Taoiseach Micheál Martin and Tánaiste Leo Varadkar have both signalled that the Government is going to take further actions to counter the rising cost of living. Opposition parties have regularly accused the Coalition of not doing enough to help off-set a spike in inflation. Addressing the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party last night, Mr Martin said…

The Government is to extend the Enhanced Illness Benefit (EIB), paid at €350 per week, until the end of June. This scheme is designed to support people who are diagnosed with Covid-19 or who need to self-isolate in line with HSE guidelines or the advice of a GP. In general, EIB is paid for up…

The design and calibration of the mortgage lending rules need to be amended, an organisation representing the property industry here has argued. Property Industry Ireland (PII) claimed the current measures are outdated and need to be changed to reflect buyers’ what a household can afford to spend, not what their income is. The argument is…

The qualifying age for the State Pension should remain at age 66, the Oireachtas Committee on Social Protection has recommended. In a report published today, the committee also calls for legislation to ban mandatory retirement clauses in employment contracts. And it is seeking flexibility to allow those with 40 years’ contributions to access their State…

New guidance for workplaces has been published to reflect the recent relaxation of most public health measures. The Transitional Protocol eases many requirements on businesses but says good practices should be maintained. It is ten days since the Government announced the relaxation of most public health measures, and following engagement with business and unions it…