New figures from the Central Statistics Office show “an unprecedented collapse” in overseas travel to and from Ireland in April as the effects of the Covid-19 crisis deepened. The CSO reported just 16,100 arrivals in April and 17,800 departures. This compares with monthly travel of more than 1.7 million in each direction the same time…
Consumer and business sentiment rose slightly in May, albeit from a low base according to the latest Pulse survey from Bank of Ireland. Consumer confidence was up marginally in the month, while all sectors of business saw an improvement. That came as improving data on the number of Covid-19 cases in Ireland continued to improve,…
European countries need to join forces to shield their banks from the coronavirus outbreak, one of the bloc’s top regulators said today, potentially using a 500 billion euro EU recovery fund to do so. The remarks from Jose Manuel Campa, who leads the European Banking Authority (EBA), will rekindle a divisive debate about whether rich…
The number of people receiving the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment has fallen to 579,400 – a drop of 5,200 over the last week. Of these, 33,400 are receiving their last payment as they are returning to work. These figures are on top of the 214,700 people receiving Jobseekers’ Benefit at the end of April. Today’s…
Starting a small business in Ireland is an exciting prospect! However, keeping track of the financial side of the business can take a hit depending on personal knowledge and affinity. On our site, we show some interesting financial calculators which you can use regularly to help calculate various financial aspects for your business. 1. More…
Three quarters of consumers say they now use contactless payments at least once a week, according to a survey for the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland. The survey of 1,000 adults was conducted at the end of April by Coyne Research. It coincided with the extension of the limit on contactless payments from €30 to…
The National Treasury Management Agency today held an auction of Irish Treasury Bills and sold the target amount of €750m. The NTMA said that total bids received amounted to €3.71 billion which was nearly five times the amount on offer. The Treasury Bills, which have a maturity of five months, were sold at a yield…
The Central Statistics Office’s latest Labour Force Survey shows that a total of 2,353,500 people were employed in the first quarter of 2020. This gives an associated employment rate of 69.8% for those aged between 15 and 64 years, the CSO added. But when the effects of the coronavirus are taken into account, the Covid-19 Adjusted…
The European Commission is recommending that Ireland takes all necessary measures to effectively address the Covid-19 pandemic, sustain the economy and support the recovery that follows. It also says the tax base here should be broadened over this year and next. “The challenges facing Ireland in regard to poverty and employment quality and support, including…
Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has said that there is a possibility that Ireland will run a deficit of €30 billion this year. “We expect public debt to increase significantly this year,” the Minister said. Speaking in the Dáil, Paschal Donohoe said the deficit can be financed at low interest rates at the moment but he said sentiment…

