Business News

More health insurance price cuts have been announced. Irish Life Health said it will reduce the premiums on 15 of its non-advanced plans, with effect from the start of next month. The move is in response to a Government decision to lower the levy on basic policies. The non-advanced plans cover the cost of treatment […]

The move by the Central Bank to tighten lending rules at the start of this year has failed to dampen the mortgage market. New figures show a bounce in the number of first-time buyers seeking mortgage approval. Some 1,500 new buyers sought the go-ahead to take out a home loan last month, up 100 on […]

The US has effectively blocked its market to cheap imports and now European Union authorities are scrambling to find ways to stem a flood of biodiesel imports after Argentina and Indonesia mounted successful challenges to anti-dumping duties. Last week the US Commerce Department piled on more import duties on biodiesel from both Argentina and Indonesia, […]

While schoolchildren across the country rejoiced at the first of the falling snow, there were many workers who were also hoping for a ‘snow day’ or two. As Met Eireann issued a Status Red weather warning on Wednesday morning, the Irish SME association (Isme) warned that employers must now decide whether this will be the […]

In terms of employee rights during storm conditions, according to employment law professionals, employers are not legally obliged to pay staff that do not turn up to work, even in cases where staff are physically unable to make the journey to the place of work. “Good employment practice would say that an employer would look […]

My partner and I are first-time buyers, or at least we’re hoping to be soon. I know the rules changed for FTBs a few years back in terms of what they can borrow, but since then I think there have been more changes and also some assistance schemes put in place. I find it all […]

Dublin has been ranked as the 17th most reputable city in the world, out-manoeuvring locations such as Frankfurt, New York, San Francisco and Brussels on the latest City RepTrak list. The study, produced annually by the Reputations Agency and Reputation Institute, found that Sydney remains the city with the best global reputation. The index – […]

Rural towns are losing up to 75pc of their workers every day because there are no jobs available locally. Official figures show that 25 towns across the Greater Dublin Area, Cork, Clare, Wexford, Waterford and Louth see an exodus of workers during the daytime as they flock to major urban centres for work. Data contained […]

Bank of Ireland plans to pay a dividend of 11.5 cents per share in its first payout to investors in a decade even as underlying profits remained static. In results just published the lender reported an underlying profit of €1.08bn for 2017 compared to €1.07bn the previous year. In her first set of results since […]

Ireland’s rocketing consumer spending has fuelled a surge in online shopping, but the upswing in digital purchases has come at the expense of local retailers. According to a recent survey, 60pc of the cash spent by consumers online last year flowed offshore. The findings were revealed in the latest Consumer Market Monitor published today by […]