The US dollar has continued to weaken against the euro this week, presenting extra challenges for exporting firms. Having strengthened in the immediate aftermath of Donald Trump’s election victory last year, the dollar has steadily slipped against the euro since the start of 2025. Compared to mid-January, the euro is currently up almost 15% against…
Category Archives: News
The Restaurants Association of Ireland is warning of further closures and job losses if the VAT rate for food-led hospitality businesses is not reduced. The RAI said it is “essential” that the Government reinstates the 9% VAT rate, which is currently at 13.5%. The Government has pledged to reduce the rate. In its pre-budget submission,…
A new ‘likely scam’ label will from today be added to text messages that users receive from companies or organisations that have not yet registered with the Commission for Communications Regulation (ComReg), in a bid to protect mobile users from falling victim to scams. Any organisations that fail to register with ComReg will have any…
Uisce Éireann and ESB Networks have told politicians on the Oireachtas Housing Committee that the electricity and water infrastructure needs investment “at pace” if it is to keep up with the Government’s plans to build 300,000 homes between now and 2029. The Uisce Éireann’s Asset Strategy Manager Angela Ryan said that it was “utterly critical”…
Euro zone inflation edged up last month to the European Central Bank’s 2% target, confirming that the era of runaway prices is over and shifting policymaker focus to trade war-induced economic volatility. Inflation in the 20 nations sharing the euro currency crept up to 2% in June from 1.9% a month earlier, in line with…
EU member states have been warned not to expect a stable trade relationship with the United States, especially on the issue of European pharmaceutical exports, even if both sides reach an agreement in principle ahead of next Wednesday’s deadline, when a pause on the imposition of US tariffs expires. In Brussels yesterday, EU ambassadors were…
Central Bank Governor Gabriel Makhlouf has warned Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe about the vulnerability of VAT as a source of revenue, as the Government plans to cut the rate of the tax for the hospitality and retails sectors. The Coalition promised to change the tax for those sectors in the Programme for Government following…
A four-day working week, pay, remote working and artificial intelligence (AI) will be among the topics debated at the biennial conference of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) which begins in Belfast today. More than 600 union representatives from across the island of Ireland are participating in the three-day conference. A motion from the…
The European Union’s Commissioner for Trade Maroš Šefčovič is flying to Washington today for talks with senior Trump administration officials ahead of next week’s deadline for a trade agreement that would be needed to avoid 50% tariffs placed on EU exports to the United States. On 2 April, US President Donald Trump imposed large, across-the-board…
Britain’s economy expanded at its fastest pace in a year in the first three months of 2025 as homebuyers rushed to beat a deadline on property purchases and manufacturers sped up output ahead of US President Donald Trump’s higher import tariffs. UK gross domestic product grew by 0.7% in the first three months of 2025,…