Business News

Construction sector under Celtic Tiger levels of pressure – report

30th January 2020

The construction sector is under Celtic Tiger levels of pressure and is in danger of overheating, according to a new report from construction consultants Mitchell McDermott. The report says 30,000 additional construction workers are required if housing targets are to be met. It says construction output grew by 12% last year, but the number of workers only […]

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Dublin world’s 17th most congested city – report

29th January 2020

A new report shows that Dublin is the 17th most congested city in the world, with motorists spending an average of eight days and 21 hours sitting in peak traffic a year. The TomTom Traffic Index examines the traffic situation in 416 cities in 57 countries around the world.  The report showed that congestion has […]

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Retail sales rebound in December – CSO

29th January 2020

The volume of retail sales increased by 5.8% on an annual basis in December compared to annual growth of 1.4% in November, the Central Statistics Office said today. Today’s figures show that retail sales volumes rose by 3.6% in December from November, with sales of food, beverages and tobacco; and cars showing the largest increase. […]

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EU says member states can ban or restrict high-risk suppliers from their 5G networks

29th January 2020

EU countries including Ireland can restrict or ban high-risk 5G vendors from core parts of their telecoms networks, according to new EU guidelines published today. The move is likely to hurt China’s Huawei but unlikely to appease the United States. The non-binding recommendations, agreed by the bloc’s 28 countries, seek to tackle cyber-security risks at […]

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Mortgage arrears fall again in third quarter – Central Bank

28th January 2020

New figures from the Central Bank show that the number of homeowners in arrears for more than three months fell to a nine-year-low of 5.9% in the third quarter from 6% at the end of June.  The Central Bank also said the decline in the number of home mortgages in arrears for two or more […]

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Six euro zone banks fall short of ECB capital demands

28th January 2020

Six euro zone banks have fallen short of the European Central Bank’s capital demands and have been told to shore up their balance sheets or face tighter controls.  The ECB’s annual review of banks comes as many lenders are struggling to make money in an environment of ultra-low interest rates. They are also facing high […]

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Oil drops below $60 as China virus stokes demand concern

28th January 2020

Crude prices dropped below $60 for the first time in nearly three months today, as the death toll from China’s coronavirus rose and more businesses were forced to shut down, fuelling expectations of slowing oil demand. Brent crude was down $1.40 a barrel at $59.29 this afternoon to mark its lowest since late October and […]

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Temporary trade dispute appeal system agreed at Davos

27th January 2020

The European Union, China and 15 other countries agreed today to develop a temporary system for appealing trade dispute rulings after the recent US-provoked collapse of the WTO appeals body.  Ministers from the group published a joint statement announcing a “multi-party interim appeal arrangement”.  The arrangement was reached during a meeting at the World Economic […]

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Euro zone economy remains weak but green shoots emerging

27th January 2020

Euro zone business activity remained lacklustre at the start of the year, a survey showed today but there were some glimmers of hope for policymakers.  The survey comes a day after the European Central Bank said the manufacturing sector remained a drag on the euro zone economy.  ECB rate-setters did not make any policy change […]

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Euro zone economy remains weak but green shoots emerging

27th January 2020

Euro zone business activity remained lacklustre at the start of the year, a survey showed today but there were some glimmers of hope for policymakers.  The survey comes a day after the European Central Bank said the manufacturing sector remained a drag on the euro zone economy.  ECB rate-setters did not make any policy change […]

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