Construction activity fell to its lowest level in 11 years as Covid-19 restrictions halted building across the country last month. Ulster Bank’s construction purchasing managers’ index, which follows the sector’s performance every month, fell to 28.9 in March from 50.6 in February, indicating that the industry virtually collapsed. The outbreak of the virus hit all […]

The Government is expected to announce details of a new €200 million scheme of enterprise supports for businesses suffering as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic next week. The measures will be aimed at the manufacturing and internationally traded sectors and were approved by the EU under a temporary framework governing state aid rules earlier this […]

Insurers and reinsurers in the European Union should temporarily suspend dividends and share buybacks, the bloc’s insurance regulator has said.  They should also consider postponing bonuses as well to ensure continuity in services during the coronavirus pandemic, the watchdog said. The virus has led to lockdowns of economies and a rising number of insurance claims […]

The availability of property for sale on the market has taken a nosedive as a result of the Covid-19 emergency, with the number of houses for sale dropping significantly. Between 15 and 28 March there were just 1,300 properties posted for sale across the country, according to property website daft.ie. That represents half the total of the […]

The services sector here suffered a significant setback due to the Covid-19 outbreak last month, with both activity and new work falling at the fastest rate since April 2009. That is according to the AIB Ireland Services Business Activity Index, which fell from 59.9 in February to 32.5 in March. It found that new business […]

Euro zone business activity collapsed last month as attempts to contain the coronavirus pandemic pushed governments to shut down vast swathes of their economies, from shops to factories to restaurants, a survey showed today.  The pandemic has infected more than a million people worldwide, paralysing economies as consumers worried about their health and job security […]

European shares fell this morning in their first trading session of the quarter, as dismal economic data from Asia underpinned the ongoing damage from the coronavirus pandemic and fanned fears of a deep global recession.  The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 2.4% in opening trade. It ending with its worst quarter in 18 years yesterday […]

Dublin remains in the top five most expensive cities to rent in Europe, according to the latest Accommodation Ranking report by ECA International.  With rental costs up €207 on average per month from last year, it is one of the steepest rental rises in the ranking (6%), making it more expensive than other major European capital cities.  […]