Archive for October 2019

The Government is to introduce a system of pension auto-enrolment on a phased basis from 2022. The details have been published by the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection. Under the system, a worker will be automatically enrolled in a pension scheme when they start a job. It will apply to all employees aged between 23…

The pound rose today and could score its biggest monthly rise in more than a decade as the combination of a weak dollar and the falling risks of Britain leaving the European Union without a deal has fueled demand.  The immediate catalyst for the pound’s gains was a cautious US Federal Reserve who kept the…

Euro zone economic growth in the third quarter defied market expectations of a slowdown and was steady quarter-on-quarter, preliminary data showed today. The euro zone’s headline inflation also slowed because of a sharp fall in energy prices.  The European Union’s statistics office Eurostat estimated gross domestic product in the euro zone grew 0.2% in the…

Ireland has emerged as one of a handful of smaller European countries not to commit to double public investment in green energy R&D by next year, under an international collaboration called Mission Innovation. To date, 24 countries, including smaller European nations such as Austria and Denmark, as well as the EU itself, have signed up…

A new economic survey, which combines consumer and business sentiment, rose slightly in October as the risk of a Halloween Brexit crash out receded.  A new economic survey, which combines consumer and business sentiment, rose slightly in October as the risk of a Halloween Brexit crash out receded.  The Bank of Ireland Economic Pulse stood…

Passenger numbers at Dublin Airport will be 34 million next year and to rise to 38.1 million in 2024, according to a projection by the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR). Passenger numbers at Dublin Airport will be 34 million next year and to rise to 38.1 million in 2024, according to a projection by the…

Euro zone business activity stagnated in October as demand withered, according to a downbeat survey published today just hours before European Central Bank President Mario Draghi makes his swansong appearance.  The ECB last month cut its deposit rate deeper into negative territory and said it would revive its bond-buying programme indefinitely to cut borrowing costs…

The DAA said it was “hugely disappointed” after the Commission for Aviation Regulation (CAR) issued a final determination that sees a cut to maximum passenger charges at Dublin Airport over the next five years. But the CAR has insisted that reduced passenger charges at the gateway will still enable it to secure sufficient revenue to…

77% of companies here plan to increase pay in 2020, a new survey from employers’ group Ibec shows. The survey of over 400 firms was carried out in advance of Ibec’s HR Leadership summit today.  The average increase is expected to be of the order of 2.5%, similar to last year’s survey.  22% of companies…

New figures from the Central Bank reveal that while household debt continues to decline here, it remains the fifth highest in the EU. The Central Bank’s Household Credit Market Report for 2019 said that household debt stood at €136.9 billion, or €28,186 per person, in the first quarter of 2019. This compares with a level of…