Consumers set to spend almost €4bn over Christmas

Irish shops are bracing themselves for their best Christmas since the nadir of the economic collapse, with a new report suggesting consumers are set to spend €4 billion between now and the new year. The upbeat forecast is contained in Retail Ireland’s Christmas...

EU-US deal could benefit dairy trade, says Bruton

The trade deal between the European Union and the United States could offer valuable market opportunities for the Irish dairy industry, Minister for Trade Richard Bruton has said, following a meeting of EU trade ministers in Brussels. Pointing out that the recent...

Irish corporate tax system most efficient in Europe, study says

Ireland has the most efficient corporate tax system in Europe with the least red tape, according to a study from PwC and the World Bank. The report found that the effective corporate tax rate in Ireland – the amount of tax paid as a percentage of profits – was 12.4...

Two-thirds of firms plan to hire next year – survey

Two-thirds of Irish firms plan to hire staff next year as a survey of chief financial officers showed increasing optimism about the outlook for Irish business. The RSM Farrell Grant Sparks survey found that 91 per cent of “traditionally cautious” chief...

Irish exporters upbeat about outlook for 2015 – survey

More than 70 per cent of exporters reported an increase in exports in 2014 compared with 62 per cent last year while nearly 85 per cent expect exports to rise in 2015, a new survey shows. The Export Ireland Survey, by the Irish Exporters Association (IEA) and Grant...