The Summer Economic Statement used to ringfence tax-and-spend plans for the next year. It now shows how fast they become out of date.
As I walked out of Croke Park after the hurling final, I wondered if football's showpiece would follow the same script: one outstanding team proving simply too good. I still think it will.
Rents and household energy have raced ahead of incomes, while electronics, clothing and groceries have become more affordable. The contrasting trends reveal much about how the Irish economy really works.
If you ask post‑Brexit London or New York executives why they treat Dublin as a serious European hub, very few start with tax anymore. Ireland's FDI pitch now reaches far beyond that.
Public infrastructure should be judged by rigorous, independent appraisal rather than political momentum. MetroLink, the most expensive capital project ever proposed by the State, should be no exception.
Susan O’Keeffe lived and worked in Manchester for 17 years. Andy Burnham’s promise of a “No10 North” won’t fix the distrust she has witnessed between the region and the capital.
Fifteen years ago, the lower Vat rate for the hospitality sector was supposed to make meals cheaper and create jobs. Today, it is presented as a lifeline for businesses. That shift matters.
Restructuring experts say Scarp offers distressed SMEs an affordable route back to viability. The data suggests it works – but with only a handful of companies using it each year, questions remain over whether the process is fit for purpose.
England’s defeat has led to an outbreak of soul-searching in the country but while many here look on amused, we are plagued with the same problems in our sporting culture.
Ireland's season has exposed cracks in depth, cohesion and succession planning, but Andy Farrell's side arrives at Eden Park with one final chance to prove those problems are fixable rather than fundamental.
© 2026 Currency Media Limited