Tag Archives: Economic welfare

Ireland fined by EU top court over anti-money laundering rules

The European Union’s top court has fined Ireland for delays and incomplete application of the EU’s rules against money laundering and terrorist financing, it said in a statement. The EU Court of Justice ordered Ireland to pay to the European Commission a lumpsum of €2 million, while Romania was fined €3m. “Both member states failed…

Government to bring pandemic payment changes to Dáil next week

Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection Regina Doherty has told the Dáil she will bring forward proposals for some changes to the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Payment within the next week or so. She said that the Government is reviewing the nature of the payment. Ms Doherty reiterated that the Pandemic Unemployment Payment and the…

Foodservice industry could see €5 billion drop in spending

An assessment of consumer spending on food outside the home, such as in restaurants, has found that the sector could fall in value by as much as €5 billion this year as a result of Covid-19. Bord Bia, the Irish Food Board, has published a paper which sets out the best and worst case scenarios…

Economic confidence up in May but remains weak overall

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,…

EBA calls for European states to shield their banks

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…

EU Commission recommends Ireland broaden its tax bases

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…

France and Germany to propose €500bn EU recovery fund

France and Germany have agreed to propose creating a €500 billion Recovery Fund that would offer grants to European member states and regions hit hardest by the coronavirus crisis. In what French President Emmanuel Macron said was a “major step forward”, the two countries said they were also proposing to allow the European Commission to…

NAMA paid €5.65m in legal fees last year

Dublin-based legal firm McCann Fitzgerald last year received €1.54m in legal fees from the National Asset Management Agency. That is according to new figures provided by the Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe in a written Dáil reply to Solidarity-People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd Barrett. In the figures provided by Mr Donohoe, NAMA last year…

Banks predict biggest ever fall in demand for loans due to Covid-19

Irish banks expect the “biggest ever decrease” in the demand for mortgages and consumer loans as a result of the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic. That is one of the results from analysis of the quarterly Bank Lending Survey published by the Central Bank today. The Central Bank said the fall in demand will be…

US Fed chair warns of ‘extended period’ of weak growth, calls for additional fiscal spending

In a sober review of where the US economy stands on the cusp of its reopening, US Federal Reserve chair Jerome Powell has warned of an “extended period” of weak growth and stagnant incomes, pledged to use more of the central bank’s power as needed, and issued a call for additional fiscal spending. “It will take…