December grocery sales pass €1 billion for first time
The grocery market hit a new milestone over the Christmas weeks, as sales in December passed the €1 billion for the first time ever. The latest figures from Kantar show that although sales growth slowed in the 12 weeks to 29 December, the grocery market weathered difficult trading conditions to increase overall sales by 1.5% […]
Davy upgrades GDP growth forecast for 2020 to 5.5%
Stockbrokers Davy have revised upwards their GDP growth forecast for 2020 to 5.5% from 4.1% previously. Davy said the upgrade came on the back of strong foreign direct investment, expansion in the multinational sector and an exceptional export performance. The new forecasts puts Davy well above official projections including the Central Bank’s estimate of 4.3% […]
Mortgage holders benefit from – and need – advice, says ESRI
The Economic and Social Research Institute has found that mortgage holders can get a better deal when they read independent advice. However, the think tank also found some serious misunderstandings about how mortgages work. The ESRI and the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission brought together a sample of 110 people with mortgages and gave them […]
Proposed laws aim to create new online safety regulator
Internet and social media services could in future be blocked for not complying with online safety rules, if draft new legislation published by the Government today comes into force. Under the proposed new laws, internet companies will be legally obliged to comply with new online safety codes. If the legislation is passed by the Oireachtas, […]
Numbers signing on Live Register fall again in December – CSO
The number of people signing on the Live Register is at the lowest level since January 2008, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show. The CSO said the Live Register total recorded a monthly decrease of 1,100 in December, which brought the seasonally adjusted total to 185,300. In unadjusted terms, a total of 181,996 […]
Monthly retail sales sink by 3.3% in November – CSO
New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that annual growth in retail sales volumes slowed to 1.4% in November from growth of almost 4% in the previous two months. Retail sales volumes were 3.3% lower in November than October, today’s figures showed, with sales of medical and cosmetic goods and food, beverages and tobacco […]
Numbers signing on Live Register fall again in December – CSO
The number of people signing on the Live Register is at the lowest level since January 2008, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show. The CSO said the Live Register total recorded a monthly decrease of 1,100 in December, which brought the seasonally adjusted total to 185,300. In unadjusted terms, a total of 181,996 […]
Businesses warned to deal with cashflow implications of Brexit
Businesses are being advised to put a number of preparatory steps in place to deal with the financial and cashflow implications of Brexit. Britain is scheduled to leave the EU at the end of this month when an eleven month transition period begins. The Banking and Payments Federation has produced a useful checklist of essential […]
Minimum wage set to increase by 30 cent an hour from February
The National Minimum wage will increase to €10.10 in February, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection has announced. That represents an increase of 30 cent on the current rate of €9.80 per hour. It is estimated that over 127,000 workers would benefit from the increase. Minister Regina Doherty said the Government had decided […]
25% of Irish companies may not be GDPR-compliant – Equinix
A new survey today reveals that 25% of Irish IT decision-makers worry that their organisation is not General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) compliant. The survey, from data centre operator Equinix, found that 76% of IT decision-makers said that complying with data protection regulations is a top priority for their company’s technology strategy. 44% also said […]