Author Archives: splash

First time buyers continue to drive mortgage approvals

Just over 5,300 mortgages were approved in July, the latest figures from Banking and Payments Federation Ireland show. First time buyers continue to drive the bulk of the activity, accounting for almost two thirds – 61.9% – of all approvals in the month. Just under a quarter of approvals were granted to those looking to […]

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Zoned Land Tax to go ahead in Budget, O’Gorman says

Green party leader Roderic O’Gorman has said that the Residential Zoned Land Tax will go ahead in the upcoming Budget. The Minister for Children and Integration said that he had spoken to his Cabinet colleague Minister for Finance Jack Chambers about the matter, and that there will now be a “carve out” for farmers. Minster […]

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Chambers set to extend bank levy as part of Budget 2025

Minister for Finance Jack Chambers is planning to extend the bank levy as part of Budget 2025. The levy was first introduced in 2014 and has been extended on a number of occasions over the past decade. The bank levy is calculated based on eligible deposits at the four institutions that received State assistance during […]

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Darkening global outlook, central banks’ pivots signal more turbulence

Growing signs of lacklustre growth and risks emerging to the job market overshadowed a gathering of global policymakers at the US Federal Reserve’s annual Jackson Hole conference, highlighting the changing trajectory of monetary policy as US and European central banks eye cutting interest rates. Even as the focus of US and European central bankers shifts […]

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Employment rate rises, female participation at record high

The employment rate in Ireland has increased almost 3% to over 74%, while female participation is at a record high. New figures from the Central Statistics Office show that over 2.7 million people over the age of 15 and uder 65 were in employment between April and June. That is 71,000 more than the same […]

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ECB has room for gradual rate cuts, Kazaks says

The European Central Bank has room to cut interest rates possibly two more times this year as inflation remains broadly on the declining path policymakers envisaged, ECB policymaker Martins Kazaks said. The ECB cut rates for the first time after a record string of hikes in June and markets expect a second move on 12 […]

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Third of firms put money aside to pay cyber ransoms

Almost a third of businesses in Ireland have money put aside to pay for ransoms arising from ransomware attacks, a new survey has found. Half of the firms surveyed admitted their defences had been breached by a ransomware attack in the last year. While more than half said they had fallen victim to social engineering […]

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