New legislation aimed at protecting access to cash has now come into force, placing clear obligations on financial institutions to maintain ATM availability nationwide. The measure responds to growing concerns about the disappearance of cash services, particularly in rural communities affected by branch and post office closures. While the use of digital payments has accelerated […]
Employers can now begin registering for Ireland’s new pension auto enrolment system, My Future Fund, ahead of its formal launch on 1 January. The scheme is designed to bring hundreds of thousands of workers who currently have no occupational pension into retirement saving for the first time, and it places clear new obligations on employers. […]
Bank of Ireland has announced plans to pilot a new lending product designed to support homeowners who wish to trade down. The initiative, scheduled to launch in early 2026, will be available to all homeowners regardless of whether they are existing customers of the bank. The bank said the new loan is part of a […]
New data from Banking and Payments Federation Ireland shows a significant rebound in mortgage activity, with 45,500 approvals issued between January and October, representing a combined value of €14.6 billion. This is the highest volume recorded since 2022 and the highest value captured since the series began in 2011. The strongest growth came from first-time […]
As the Black Friday and Cyber Monday season gets underway, the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission is urging shoppers to exercise strong caution amid a rise in sophisticated online scams. The agency’s latest research indicates that nearly a quarter of consumers plan to buy during the sales period, creating fertile ground for fraudsters seeking to […]
European Union negotiators have reached a provisional agreement on a new framework aimed at reducing online payment fraud and improving consumer protection. The measures will place greater responsibility on banks and payment service providers, while also introducing new obligations for online platforms. Under the draft rules, payment service providers will be required to reimburse customers […]
Ireland’s independent fiscal watchdog has raised concerns about the Government’s current approach to managing the public finances. The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (Ifac) argues that the State is becoming increasingly reliant on volatile corporation tax receipts while allowing expenditure to grow at a pace that could prove difficult to maintain. According to the council, the […]
Bank of Ireland has outlined a new lending initiative that aims to make it easier for homeowners who wish to downsize. The bank plans to pilot the product in early 2026, and it will be open to all homeowners rather than being restricted to existing customers. The loan is part of a broader package of […]
Ireland’s water regulator has issued a significant financial penalty to Uisce Éireann after the utility failed to meet a key commitment to reduce water leakage across the network. The Commission for Regulation of Utilities (CRU) had set a target to cut leakage by 176 million litres between 2020 and 2024. According to the regulator’s latest […]
A new survey of Ireland’s compliance community suggests that criminal groups are moving far more quickly than businesses or regulators in exploiting artificial intelligence for unlawful activity. According to the Compliance Institute, 77 percent of compliance professionals believe organisations and regulators are falling behind those engaged in cyber crime. A further 20 percent feel criminals […]
