Ireland’s largest private student landlord has signalled possible legal action over Government moves to ban operators from insisting on 51-week leases. Ian Curran reports on the position of Yugo, operated by UK-anchored Global Student Accommodation (GSA), which wrote to Minister for Higher Education Patrick O’Donovan last July expressing concerns over the speed of the Residential Tenancies Amendment Act. The legislation requires that students be given the option of shorter leases, more fitting with the academic calendar.
In an era when buying a home is proving more than a little challenging for many, new research from DNG shows just how little of the supply is actually available to individual purchasers. Peter Flanagan has the findings, which show household buyers accounted for less than 60 per cent of new homes sold during 2023. Funds and other organisations snapped up the rest. It all demonstrates, according to DNG head of research Paul Murgatroyd how “private individuals only had the opportunity to purchase six out of every 10 homes built.”
RTÉ “shouldn’t just be chasing ratings” when deciding what content to explore. That’s all well and good when you have money, and now that the national broadcaster has secured some certainty in that regard, director general Kevin Bakhurst has more room for manoeuvre. He speaks with Laura Slattery as Montrose reveals details of its upcoming schedule.
With another European Central Bank rate cut expected in the near future, economic data from Ireland has shown headline inflation reaching a new low of 1.1 per cent, according to the latest flash estimate for the harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP). That is the lowest it has been since April 2021, notes Eoin Burke-Kennedy.
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In good news for anyone travelling abroad from the south of the country – and resenting the need to get to Dublin in order to do so – more routes could be on the way for Cork Airport. Barry O’Halloran reports that airlines have been in talks with its operator, DAA, and given the southern airport is now the fastest growing in the State, the idea looks set to take off. “New routes and new airlines are on the horizon for Cork,” chief executive Kenny Jacobs said.
It’s been plain sailing for Irish Continental Group (ICG), parent of Irish Ferries, since a post-pandemic return to normal travel patterns, aided by its relatively new Dover-Calais route. Joe Brennan reports on the latest company results which show a 7.4 per cent increase in operating profit in the first half of the year to €17.4 million. It has seen a 21 per cent growth in cars carried during the period, while passenger numbers increased at a similar pace to 1.33 million.
In the ongoing story of the proposed €1 million sale of South Dublin sports grounds, Dominic Coyle reports that the tabled deal between the church and would-be buyer, GAA club Geraldines P Moran, has been comprehensively backed by the latter’s members. Tensions between the parish, and an underage rugby club who have traditionally used the facilities, have also diminished.
Where do you think Irish people favour for their holidays? It would probably surprise few to find most Irish tourist money is splashed in Spain – spending being a solid metric of destination popularity – but fintech Revolut has published more of its data revealing trends in customer choice, as demonstrated by purchasing. The company which keeps expanding – and which has grown so popular as to become a verb – has identified Portugal, France and Italy as other top destinations for their Irish holidaymaking customers. Ciara O’Brien has the numbers.
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