Full coverage: Covid19

Changing working and consumption patterns will hit commercial property badly, while the lack of purchasing power for first time buyers will dampen the residential market. I have picked my way through the data, and the leading indicators are not good.

A series of companies connected with the retail were liquidated today, with its owner pointing to the pandemic and the collapse in future tourism. Most of the money is due to the family behind the business.

As the debate around flight restrictions continues on technical, legal, economical, and moral grounds, Stephen Kinsella takes a step back to look at the evidence available so far.

Since the crisis began, the Revenue Commissioners have halted audit work, allowed firms to warehouse debt and rolled out the state’s wage subsidy scheme. In an exclusive interview, its chairman Niall Cody talks about Covid-19, multinational tax structures and the Revenue’s battle against tax avoidance.

Leo Varadkar says the pandemic will cause ‘divisive’ inequality, yet the key policy problem here is not inequality but massive uncertainty. Inequality is a potential outcome of the government’s reaction. If it gets the reaction wrong, the result may be a lost generation of young households.

Covid-19 has smashed transport companies, and social distancing will make many of them non-viable. Governments have rushed to the aid of a small number of favoured companies. Could the end result be a re-nationalisation of the transport industry?

The Dublin-based online backpackers’ booking service this week rallied investors and banks to see it through the pandemic. Yet despite commitments to build significant personal stakes in the business, the company’s executive directors have yet to do so.

After weeks of underground haircuts and lobbying, the beauty industry is officially going back to work on June 29. However, many within the sector say it will take years to recover.

In my evidence to the Oireachtas Covid-19 committee, I explained that we must consider tax rises to bridge the €30bn deficit and fund a €20bn stimulus. In a crisis, all bets are off, and all avenues of revenue-raising should be considered.

There are thousands of small craft businesses around Ireland, the vast majority of which are outside Dublin. As the economy gradually begins to reopen, the industry is hopeful for a return to normality – but conscious of the challenges ahead.