Ireland’s corporate insolvency rate may be “remarkably steady” at the moment, but some sectors are faring better than others, according to PwC. The Big Four accountancy firm’s latest insolvency report indicates that the volume of company failures in the retail sector increased by 35 per cent in the first half of 2026, amid headwinds on the consumer price inflation front.
As Ireland takes over the EU presidency this week, workers in the cleaning and security sectors are set to protest in support of workers’ rights being included as a factor in the awarding of public contracts. The demonstration, which will be led by Siptu, relates to new EU rules around tendering processes, due to be published later in the year. Emmet Malone reports.
The heatwave might be in the rear-view mirror. If it proved anything, however, it’s that most of us are simply not set up to deal with anything outside the norm of an Irish summer. From mini fans to barbecue accessories, Ciara O’Brien looks at some tech gadgets that might make the next spell of hot weather more bearable.
The latest forecasts from the Central Bank, the ESRI and the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council are “reasonably benign”, despite the economic storms brewing elsewhere in the global economy, writes John FitzGerald. Yet, if the Government is to save more of its corporation tax receipts, it will have to direct its focus to the most vulnerable households and eschew broad-based cost-of-living measures in October’s budget.
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A decade on from the Brexit vote, experts are having something of a comeback in the UK. In her latest column for the Financial Times, Pilita Clark writes that scientists, nutritionists and weather forecasters are all in better odour than they had been, according to polling. Even economists – who consistently and correctly said Brexit would damage Britain – are better thought of than they were in 2017.
In this week’s Your Money Q&A, meanwhile, Dominic Coyle answers a question from a reader who wonders if it’s possible to bypass expensive legal services when it comes to acting for a relative who has granted them enduring power of attorney.
CRH’s agreement to acquire Arcosa for $8.5 billion (€7.45 billion) marks its largest takeover. Still, questions remain over the deal. In this week’s Stocktake, Proinsias O’Mahony explains the muted reaction from investors to the blockbuster acquisition.
Finally, in Me & My Money, Tony Claton-Lea talks to adventure athlete Becky Gilmour about her love of thrift shops, her time ghost writing for a gambling website and being grateful for everything she has.
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