The European Union’s Brexit negotiator, Michel Barnier, has said sealing a new trade pact with Britain is still possible and that negotiations are continuing to attempt to solve rifts over access to UK fishing waters and rules of economic fair play for companies. “We’ve only been negotiating for nine months. We’ve needed at least five…

The European Central Bank expects economic growth to rebound more slowly next year as the pandemic continues to weigh on output but the recovery could be quicker in 2022 than earlier thought, its updated economic projections showed today.  In what it describes as the baseline scenario, the ECB expects GDP to expand by 3.9% percent…

The talks on Brexit may still be ongoing, just about. But so, too, is the worrying here in Ireland about the potential consequences of no agreement being struck. That’s for at least five very good reasons, as the fallout could be extremely serious for Irish business and the economy. Exports If there’s no deal, among…

There are “low expectations” that a post-Brexit trade deal can be struck between the European Union and Britain, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has reportedly told EU leaders. Ursula von der Leyen told leaders from the EU’s 27 member states that the “probability of a no deal is higher than of a deal”…

Self-employed people in receipt of the Pandemic Unemployment Payment (PUP) will be able to earn €960 over eight weeks while also retaining their full entitlement to the payment following a change to the rules. The Minister for Social Protection, Heather Humphreys, said she was doubling the threshold from the current €480 over four weeks immediately…

Consumers will be faced with VAT and customs duty when Britain exits the EU on 1 January if buying goods from the UK. However, the changes are likely to result in an increase in the tax take for the Government. Revenue has outlined the costs which consumers will face after Brexit. Anything priced under €22…

Britain and the European Union have scope to strike a trade deal but significant differences remain and real progress needs to be made to keep talking beyond the new deadline of Sunday, British foreign minister Dominic Raab has said. Speaking to the BBC, Mr Raab said that while he could not rule out a further extension…

The Taoiseach has told a meeting of the Fianna Fáil parliamentary party that significant differences remain on the issue of the level playing field in the Brexit talks. Micheál Martin said there is an ongoing risk of a no-deal Brexit, which would be very serious across the regions. He said, however, that there is a…

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson will travel to Brussels in an attempt to reach a breakthrough on a post-Brexit trade deal with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen. Later this morning the European Commission is expected to approve a series of measures, agreed yesterday with the UK, on how to implement the Northern Ireland Protocol. However, diplomats are cautious…