News

Italy’s competition authority has imposed a €255 million fine on Ryanair, alleging that the airline abused its dominant position in its dealings with travel agents. The decision centres on claims that the carrier restricted how travel agencies could sell Ryanair flights alongside other airlines or bundled travel services. According to the regulator, Ryanair created economic…

AIB has begun rolling out a new generation of Cash and Cheque Lodgement machines as part of a €40 million investment programme across its branch network. The initiative will see 60 new machines installed in 127 branches nationwide, improving access to everyday cash services for personal and business customers. The new machines allow customers to…

New car registrations across Europe increased in November for the fifth consecutive month, supported by continued growth in electric vehicle uptake across several major markets. Figures released by the European automobile industry body show year on year gains driven largely by rising demand for battery electric and hybrid models in countries such as Germany, Italy…

New research indicates that digital advertising continues to play a decisive role in online buying behaviour, with more than half of Irish consumers influenced to make purchases through ads on websites and social media in the run-up to Cyber Monday. The findings come from the latest Digital Consumer Index, commissioned by Digital Business Ireland and…

Bank customers are being urged to remain alert this Christmas as fraudsters deploy increasingly convincing tactics designed to impersonate well-known financial institutions. Recent scam activity shows a shift towards highly polished phone-based fraud, where criminals use authentic bank recordings to create the illusion of legitimacy. The scam typically begins with a text message claiming to…

The Government has confirmed a significant expansion of its housing investment strategy, announcing a new €400 million equity programme through the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund. The move brings total equity backing for homebuilding under the fund to €800 million since the initiative was launched in mid-2023. ISIF, which is managed by the National Treasury Management…

The Irish SME Association has warned that planned investment in Ireland’s electricity grid should not result in higher energy bills for businesses or households. The organisation argues that while upgrading the national network is necessary, the financial burden should not be transferred directly to end users. The warning follows comments from the energy regulator indicating…

Irish banks are warning consumers and businesses to be on high alert for a rise in so-called smishing scams in the lead-up to Christmas, as fraudsters increasingly exploit busy periods and heightened online activity. New figures show that text message fraud remains the most common source of payment scams reported by customers this year. AIB…

The Central Bank has warned that achieving the Government’s target of delivering 300,000 new homes by the end of 2030 will remain difficult, pointing to ongoing constraints across the construction sector. While the bank has slightly upgraded its outlook for housing output, it remains cautious about the pace at which supply can increase. According to…

Residential property prices continued to rise in the year to October, with annual growth easing marginally to 7.3 percent, according to the latest data from the Central Statistics Office. This compares with a revised growth rate of 7.5 percent in September, suggesting price inflation remains strong despite signs of a gradual slowdown. The figures show…