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Conor Pope

Conor Pope

Consumer Affairs Correspondent

Conor Pope is The Irish Times Consumer Affairs Correspondent and edits the Pricewatch page which appears in the paper every Monday. Part of his brief sees him trying – and sometimes succeeding – in helping readers who feel they have been wronged by businesses and service providers. He also regularly gives out about rip-offs and reviews all manner of products from high end smart phones to bargain basement baked beans. He has radio slots on both the Ray Darcy Show on Today FM and the George Hook Show on Newstalk where he serves as consumer agony uncle and money saving expert respectively. Before developing an interest in consumer issues, he was the deputy editor of The Irish Times website.

Bank fees unfair to blind customers, group says

Under new rules, Bank of Ireland account holders will be charged 40 cent for over-the-counter transactions

Several years ago Tesco looked at the shelves of fresh prawns in M&S and decided it would have a bit of that action. In the early days, it struggled to match its more upmarket rival, but in recent times the chain has upped its game, and while its crustaceans may not be as nice, they are close and a whole lot cheaper. These plain king prawns have a nice meaty texture, a pleasing saltiness, and are of a good size, too. We’d highly recommend them. Verdict: Prawn starStar rating: *****
Value for money: Prawns

The king of the kings

Moneylenders are careful in their targeting by offering loans to people dependent on social welfare – or those who need it most but can afford it least.
Time to tackle problem of money-lending

Central Bank’s figures on money-lending are six years out of date

Michelin Star chefs and brothers Peter (left) and Jonray Sanchez-Iglesias, from Casamia Restaurant in Bristol, officially launching this year’s Taste of Dublin event, which is taking place this weekend in the Iveagh Gardens, Dublin. Photograph: Dara Mac Dónaill/The Irish Times
Taste of Dublin opens in Iveagh Gardens

Rain or shine, Ireland’s foodies will be line for all manner of treats at this year’s festival, which continues until Sunday

The Bank of Ireland headquarters on College Green in Dublin.
Bank of Ireland increases charges again

Charge to hit customers who may have qualified for free banking by keeping €3,000 in account

Passengers wait for their flight at Nice International airport during a strike by French air traffic controllers. The strike has ended but many passengers remain stranded. Photograph: Reuters
Up to 90,000 Ryanair passengers affected by French strikes

Action saw more than 3,000 flights cancelled over two days

Passengers wait for their flight at Nice International airport yesterday.
Chaos across Europe as French air traffic controllers ground flights

Ryanair forced to cancel 250 flights, including seven scheduled to depart from Dublin

These things happen in cycles

National Bike Week starts on Saturday and there’s never been a better time to get back in the saddle

Laura Byrnes and Aideen McHenry of Ruby Ruby secondhand designer clothes shop in Dublin. Photograph: Frank Miller
Pricewatch: Clothes that won’t make you feel the pinch

The recession has given rise to a burgeoning range of second-hand designer shops, online discount sites and sample sales

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Latest Economy

Average earnings increase after three years of decline
NTMA chief executive John Corrigan. The NTMA has announced an auction of Treasury Bills this Thursday. Photo: Brenda Fitzsimons/The Irish Times NTMA to sell €500m of bonds
Taoiseach Enda Kenny launches The Case for Investing in Europe 2013 report at the Merrion Hotel in Dublin. Photograph: Niall Carson/PA Kenny urges breaking of link between bank and sovereign debt
Revision of Cypriot bailout terms unlikely, euro zone officials say
Cantillon: The intricacies of the CCCTB proposal is a subject people don’t usually enjoy
Pascal Saint-Amans: “What puts Ireland in jeopardy is the perception that Ireland charges 2 per cent.” Photograph: Roslan Rahman/AFP/Getty Images Irish tax regime is fair, says OECD director