Activity in the construction sector declined for the third month in a row, the latest Purchasing Managers’ Index from Ulster Bank shows. Ulster Bank’s Construction PMI showed a reading of 48.2 in November, up from 46.2 in October. Any figure under 50 signals contraction in the industry.  The November slowdown included a decline in activity […]

The number of new private cars licensed for the first time rose by 1.8% in November, new figures from the Central Statistics Office show.  The CSO said that a total of 1,676 new private cars were licensed for the first time, up from 1,647 the same month last year. Meanwhile, a total of 9,874 used […]

The National Treasury Management Agency said it plans to borrow between €10 billion and €14 billion in 2020, down from a target range of €14-18 billion last year. The NTMA said a pre-funding strategy had given it a projected cash balance in excess of €15 billion. It said this gives it “significant flexibility” entering 2020 […]

The euro zone economy grew at a modest pace in the third quarter with a negative impact from trade, while retail sales fell at their sharpest rate this year in October, data showed today.  Gross domestic product (GDP) in the euro zone was up 0.2% in the three months from July to September. This was the […]

A group of European Union countries is calling for the bloc to cast a wider net when listing tax havens and to consider imposing stricter sanctions for countries facilitating tax avoidance, according to an EU document and an EU official. The move is likely to spark some fear in Government circles. The document, prepared by the Danish […]

Changes to the flat-rate expenses regime have been pushed out to 2021 as the State’s tax collector awaits results of a review by the Department of Finance. Flat-rate expenses are those that cover the cost of equipment you need for work and Revenue had planned to change how the scheme works Following parliamentary pressure, Revenue has […]

European Union finance ministers today backed plans for greater powers to combat money laundering after a series of revelations about large amounts of dirty money flowing through European banks. The EU last year experienced its largest money-laundering scandal when it emerged that €200 billion in suspicious payments were made between 2007 and 2015 through Danske […]

The Minister of State for European Affairs, Helen McEntee, will discuss the imposition of US tariffs on Irish goods at a series of meetings in Washington this week.  She is due to holds talks on Capitol Hill and with the American Chamber of Commerce.  In October it was announced that a range of goods from […]