Posts by splash

Total construction activity fell for the second month in a row in June, new data shows. BNP Paribas Real Estate Total Construction PMI index fell to 47.5, from 49.8 in May. The report suggests that a fall in commercial activity was a key factor behind the latest reduction in total activity. “Commercial activity surged through…

Asking prices for homes across the country rose at the fastest rate in almost two years in the 12 months to the end of June, new data shows. According to the MyHome.ie Property Price Report, advertised prices nationally were up 7.3% with the median asking price reaching €365,000. The last time the annual inflation rate…

Some European Central Bank policymakers felt uneasy about recent inflation developments when they cut interest rates last month and feared that any further delay in reaching the target would be costly, the accounts of their June 5-6 meeting showed today. The ECB cut interest rates at that meeting and signalled that more easing is likely…

The Governor of the Central Bank has urged the Government to stick to its own rule limiting the overall annual increase in spending to 5% in the upcoming budget. Gabriel Makhlouf also advised the new Minister for Finance, Jack Chambers, that it will be necessary to strike the right balance to avoid the risks of…

The Taoiseach has told the banks he wants people to feel the benefits of reduced monthly mortgage repayments as quickly as possible as interest rates begin to fall. Simon Harris has now concluded a series of meetings with banks, credit unions and non-bank lenders. The meetings focused on mortgage interest rates, the housing sector and…

The State took in a total of €44.7 billion in tax in the first six months of the year, up more than 9% on the same period last year, the latest exchequer returns show. The strong performance was driven in particular by corporation tax, income tax and VAT and contributed to an exchequer surplus of…

Budget 2025 is to be brought forward one week to Tuesday 1 October, Minister for Finance Jack Chambers has said. Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Mr Chambers said it was the “natural date” to hold the Budget due to ministerial commitments in Europe the following week. “We’ve to submit our fiscal and budgetary submission to…

Value Added Tax (VAT) compliance is a pivotal aspect for small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) that directly impacts their financial health and operational efficiency. Given the variety of VAT rates and the frequent changes in regulations, understanding and managing VAT can seem like a daunting task. However, with strategic approaches and effective management practices, SMEs…

Growth in the country’s service sector moderated slightly in June, bringing jobs growth to a near standstill but a sharp drop in input costs offered welcome relief to firms, a survey showed today. The AIB Global S&P Purchasing Managers’ Index fell to 54.2 from 55 in May, broadly in line with the trend for the…

Bank of Ireland has downgraded its outlook for growth in Gross Domestic Product (GDP) to 1% this year and 3.9% in 2025. The bank had previously guided GDP growth of 1.5% for 2024 and 4% next year. The downwards revision was accounted for mainly by distortions associated with the multinational sector rather than any material…