A total of 10,741 new companies have been established in the first quarter of 2014, up 6pc on the corresponding period last year, according to credit and business risk analyst Vision-net.

It said that the number of new companies registered in the construction industry rose 29pc in the quarter, while the number of insolvencies in that sector fell 25pc.

The total number of company insolvencies fell 23pc year-on-year in the …

The IDA expects to attract 80 new multinational firms to Ireland this year and is targeting the creation of 6,000 jobs, according to the outgoing head of the agency, Barry O’Leary

Mr O’Leary, who is due to step down from the organisation in the coming months, also said that the IDA has an additional target of 80 “new investments” from multinational firms already here. He said that the agency will …

IT costs less to employ a worker in Ireland than in many other European countries after years of wage stagnation.

New Eurostat figures show that Ireland is now close to the eurozone average for labour costs and behind high-wage countries such as Denmark, Belgium and France.

However, labour costs here are still significantly higher than in our nearest neighbour Britain.

Labour costs vary enormously throughout the EU with workers in …

Companies changed hands to the tune of €18.9bn here last year, a drop of around a quarter compared with 2012.

In value terms, a small number of very big international pharmaceutical deals dominated last year’s activity, according to an M&A Annual Review report prepared by William Fry solicitors.

The number of deals was up, however, and the €500m-and-up range doubled last year.

The €6.5bn takeover of Ireland-based Warner Chilcott by …

The ISEQ index of Irish shares closed down 16.16 points at 4,968.35, mirroring declines elsewhere.

In the bond market, the yield on Irish government bonds hit an all-time low yesterday, slipping down to just 2.98pc to borrow for 10 years.

Yields have been dropping as the volume of bonds traded picked up in recent days.

In Dublin, the most actively traded names were Smurfit Kappa, which closed down 2.76pc at …

IRISH technology firms are upbeat about the future and three-quarters of them are planning to grow their workforce this year.

#In addition, seven out of 10 increased their turnover by an average of 30pc last year and six out of 10 are now looking outside Ireland for their main market, according to a survey by Amarach research for AIB.

The sector employs 30,000 people with a strong emerging technology start-up …

AIB is currently investigating the accidental overcharging of some customers.

The bank said today it was working to rectify the situation as soon as possible.

It is understood some customers were double-charged on March 25 and then again on March 26 for some transactions, it is not known how many consumers have been affected.

FINANCIAL services group IFG has reported revenues up 4.6pc to £79.6m in the year ended December – adjusted operating profit was £9.6m, in line with previous year.

Operating profit was £4.6m, down from £6.2m, the company said today.

IFG also said its Irish business is improving.

Europe’s handling of the financial crisis made the recession worse and longer, Mario Draghi has admitted.

Prompt action by the US to sort out its banks meant the economy there recovered years before Europe, and European leaders actually hurt the economy by leaving banks and states to cope without financial support and by cutting investment in the downturn, the ECB president said in a speech in Paris.

In diplomatic but …

State will pocket €950m when Bord Gais sale is finalised. THE State will receive €950m from the privatisation of Bord Gais Energy, with the sale expected to close before the end of June. The sale will be made to a trio of investors made up of Centrica, Brookfield Renewable Energy Partners and Icon Infrastructure, who will break up the business once the deal is completed.

Bord Gais said that the …