Donald Trump<\/a> is inaugurated as the 47th president of the United States with the threat of tariffs<\/a> and higher prices looming large.<\/p>\n Storm \u00c9owyn<\/a> crashes into Ireland leaving well over 600,000 homes, businesses and farms without power and many without access to cash or goods as a result of failing credit and debit card terminals and ATM machines. <\/p>\n A report from the liquidators of Dublin company DK Windows and Doors suggests hundreds of customers are facing significant financial losses with the amounts at risk reaching up to \u20ac50,000 for some customers.<\/p>\n VHI Healthcare announces an average price increase of 3 per cent across its health insurance plans effective from the beginning of March. The State\u2019s largest private health insurer says the hike was \u201cnecessary due to the sustained rise in the number of people accessing healthcare and the associated costs of delivering this.\u201d<\/p>\n The European Central Bank (ECB) cuts its rates by 0.25 per cent. It equates to a \u20ac13 per month saving for every \u20ac100,000 owed on a tracker mortgage. It is just the latest in a sequence of cuts over a six-month period that has seen the ECB\u2019s lending rate fall to 2.9 per cent compared with 4.5 per cent in January 2024.<\/p>\n February<\/p>\n The economic outlook for Ireland is \u201cincreasingly uncertain\u201d with the rise of protectionism and the threat of tariffs from the Trump administration posing a significant risk, the Department of Finance warns. <\/p>\n [\u00a0Have Irish property prices reached their peak? Five experts give their takeOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Revenue<\/a> calls on more than half a million PAYE workers to claim refunds they are due and stresses it actively wants to ensure money owed to people for tax reliefs including rent, mortgages and health expense are paid to those entitled to it. According to Revenue, close to \u20ac400 million in tax rebates went unclaimed by PAYE workers over the course of 2023 with the cumulative total over the last four years \u2013 the time period over which tax rebates can still be sought as much as \u20ac1.2 billion.<\/p>\n Re-turn, the not-for-profit operator of the Deposit Return Scheme<\/a> in Ireland announces that one billion bottles and cans have been returned for recycling by Irish consumers in the first 12 months of the new system. <\/p>\n A new front in the war on scammers is announced with communications watchdog ComReg promising a text-messaging register that will more easily flag and then block rogue SMS messages. <\/p>\n Retail analysts Kantar Worldpanel put grocery inflation at 3.4 per cent which is slightly lower than the previous month.<\/p>\n Thirteen illegal operators of so-called dodgy boxes are served with legal notices warning them to shut down illicit streaming services or face possible criminal prosecution. The action is taken by the Federation Against Copyright Theft (Fact) and marks the start of a ramping up of the campaign against the boxes that are found in hundreds of thousands of Irish households. <\/p>\n Laya Healthcare announces a price hike averaging 6.6 per cent from the beginning of April. The second largest health insurance provider in the State blames higher claims costs and says waiting lists in the public system are pushing people towards private healthcare, which is leading to prices climbing.<\/p>\n The British fashion chain New Look announces the closure of its 26 shops in the Republic after deciding the business here is no longer viable with debts of \u20ac17.7 million.<\/p>\n March The ECB announces another rate cut of 0.25 per cent which takes its lending rate to 2.65 per cent compared with 4.5 per cent 12 months previously.<\/p>\n Consumer law was potentially broken by more than half the websites selling second-hand products that were investigated during an exercise involving the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) and its European counterparts. They found that 52 per cent of 356 websites across the Continent selling second-hand goods, such as clothes, accessories and electronics, were potentially breaking consumer law. The exercise focused on businesses selling second-hand goods as distinct from individuals selling on classified advert platforms.<\/p>\n Retailers Lifestyle Sports, DID Electrical and Rathwood Home and Garden World plead guilty to breaches of sale price legislation at a District Court hearing in Dublin. The CCPC took the cases against the retailers after breaches were identified in online sweeps conducted over the 2023\/24 winter sales season, including Black Friday. They are the first prosecutions under sales pricing legislation introduced in 2022 which requires traders to base any discount on the lowest price in at least the previous 30 days, and to display this price clearly on any price tag or advertisement. <\/p>\n Scammers are targeting more than three-quarters of Irish adults with bogus text messages, emails, phone calls or online content every month, according to new research. The study from the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland also suggests that the level of scams is on the rise, and warns that the deployment of generative AI technology has the potential to \u201csupercharge\u201d fraudulent activity.<\/p>\n Grocery prices are inching up again with inflation across Irish supermarkets put at just under 4 per cent when compared with the same period last year, figures from Worldpanel suggest.<\/p>\n [\u00a0Only top 20% of Irish earners can afford to rent an apartment, surveyors sayOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Ticketmaster, Eir and Ryanair were the three companies that prompted most complaints to the CCPC last year. More broadly, issues with vehicles and transport, telecoms and home improvements topped the list of concerns from those who contacted the consumer watchdog. The number of complaints lodged with the financial ombudsman jumped sharply in 2023 with poor levels of customer service and a surge in scams driving much of the increase, a new report reveals.<\/p>\n Amazon opens its dedicated Irish platform with the tech and retailing giant promising more choice, faster delivery and better value to Irish consumers.<\/p>\n April The 9 per cent VAT rate currently applied to gas and electricity is extended for a further six months until the end of October meaning the rate will not return to its normal level of 13.5 per cent on May 1st as had been scheduled. It gets further extended in the October budget.<\/p>\n The British consumer watchdog Which? suggests that Easter eggs are likely to cost up to 50 per cent more this year than they did last year with many eggs considerably smaller than they once were.<\/p>\n Another rate decrease from the ECB sees its lending rate fall to 2.4 per cent.<\/p>\n M&S is targeted by hackers with contactless payments and click-and-collect orders severely impacted. It expresses the hope that the issue will be quickly revolved but it drags on for months. <\/p>\n May Rents are climbing faster than at any point over the past 20 years with the national monthly average between January and March going above \u20ac2,000 for the first time, according to daft.ie.<\/p>\n Boots pleads guilty to breaching legislation aimed at protecting consumers from misleading prices during sales periods following an investigation by the CCPC.<\/p>\n Smokers pay tens of thousands of euro more for life insurance and mortgage protection than non-smokers, according to research from price comparison and switching website bonkers.ie. <\/p>\n For mortgage protection \u2013 a legal requirement for anyone taking out a mortgage in Ireland \u2013 a 38-year-old couple can pay as little as \u20ac35.60 a month for \u20ac300,000 in cover over 30 years as long as they\u2019re both non-smokers. However, if they both smoke, the cost jumps to \u20ac70.09 \u2013 an increase of almost 97 per cent, or nearly \u20ac12,500 over the life of the policy.<\/p>\n [\u00a0Inflation explainer: why are prices in Ireland accelerating again?Opens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n June<\/p>\n The cost of groceries is climbing faster, with figures from Worldpanel suggesting a rate of inflation of 5.3 per cent. <\/p>\n Irish farmers welcome tentative moves by the European Parliament to restrict \u201ccynical\u201d vegetarian and vegan food producers from using words such as sausage, burger and schnitzel to sell their products. The \u201chijacking\u201d of traditional farming terms was \u201cdeliberate and cynical\u201d and could constitute \u201ca breach of any trade descriptions Act\u201d, says Irish Creamery and Milk Supplier\u2019s Association (ICMSA) president Denis Drennan.<\/p>\n Someone in Cork wins a \u20ac250 million EuroMillions jackpot.<\/p>\n Ireland is the second most expensive country in the European Union with only Danes expected to pay more for a range of goods and services Eurostat says. <\/p>\n The rules covering uniforms, supplies and technology put in place by many schools could be needlessly increasing costs for parents while harming competition across the education sector, the CCPC warns in a letter to primary and post-primary schools.<\/p>\n The increasing cost of motor insurance premiums is laid bare with the Central Statistics Office (CSO) suggesting premiums have climbed by 8.4 per cent over 12 months, more than four times the general rate of inflation. <\/p>\n Airline passengers travelling to and from Ireland and across the EU will lose some key rights when it comes to flight delays due to changes to the regulations governing air travel agreed by the European Union Council. People will only be able to apply for compensation for short and medium-haul flights delayed for over four hours while and six hours for long-haul flights.<\/p>\n July Worldpanel records a 5.4 per cent rate of grocery inflation suggesting the cost of living crisis is worsening again.<\/p>\n It emerges that Ryanair offers staff commission if they identify oversized bags at boarding gates. The utterly unapologetic airline says that it has plans to increase the commission and lift a cap on how much its staff can earn.<\/p>\n Parents sending children back to school at the end of August will see a spike in associated costs, with one in three expected to go into debt and more than a third forced to deny their children at least one back-to-school item, according to the annual Irish League of Credit Unions\u2019 back to school survey. <\/p>\n [\u00a0Ireland is second most expensive country in EU, data showsOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n Dominos becomes one of the first high-profile businesses in Ireland to have its marketing text messages labelled as likely spam following an overhaul of how such communications are managed. Under the new system aimed at protecting consumers from criminals misrepresenting themselves as legitimate businesses companies are required to register details of their SMS messaging on a database or risk having their communications initially flagged as suspect and ultimately blocked. Not all companies acted in time however leading some to be erroneously labelled as spam.<\/p>\n August Another month, another raft of health insurance price hikes. <\/p>\n VHI Healthcare announces an average price increase of 3 per cent across its health insurance plans, effective from the beginning of October. Irish Life Health increases its price by a similar percentage while Laya Healthcare roll out price hikes averaging 4.5 per cent.<\/p>\n The cost of groceries climbs again with supermarket inflation put at just under 6 per cent, or more than three times the rate of general inflation, according to Worldpanel.<\/p>\n Oasis roll into town with fans lining up to buy merch in a pop-up shop on St Stephen\u2019s Green ahead of the band\u2019s comeback concerts in Croker. All the talk of dynamic ticket pricing is largely forgotten as fans fall head over heels for the rock\u2019n\u2019roll stars all over again.<\/p>\n Ryanair, Eir and Sky were the companies most complained about in the first half of 2025 while Ticketmaster saw its ranking with Ireland\u2019s consumer watchdog improve as those concerns over high-priced Oasis tickets last September faded away.<\/p>\n September The Central Bank gives the green light for credit unions to issue more mortgages under previous rules, credit unions were allowed lend between 10 and 15 per cent of their assets for mortgages. From the end of this month it rises to 30 per cent of total assets.<\/p>\n More than one in four Irish adults have no financial plans for their retirement while the number without a private pension has increased significantly since last year, according to CCPC research.<\/p>\n Electric Ireland announces a surprise gas price decrease of 4 per cent and commits to keeping its electricity prices at their current levels ahead of the winter months. The pricing move comes less than 24 hours after Energia, one of its key rivals in the domestic market, rolled out electricity price increases of up to 12 per cent which will cost many households more than \u20ac200 a year. Bord G\u00e1is Energy also hiked its electricity price hikes by 13.5 per cent.<\/p>\n The DAA apologises and promises to issue refunds totalling almost \u20ac350,000 after it overcharged thousands of customers for parking at Dublin Airport earlier this year. Almost 4,500 customers paid more for parking during two so-called flash sales in March and May than they would have when the parking spaces were not discounted.<\/p>\n October Fastway goes into receivership with its owners saying the \u201cbusiness has faced sustained inflation, rising operating costs and ongoing price pressures across the parcels market, which have made it no longer viable in its current form\u201d. The move prompts immediate concerns over the future of 300 people who are employed directly by the company and around 700 contractors while thousands of parcels got caught up in its systems.<\/p>\n Worldpanel now puts the rate of grocery inflation at 6.5 per cent, the highest rate recorded since December 2023. <\/p>\n [\u00a0Budget 2026 main points: Renters\u2019 tax credit extended, minimal personal tax changesOpens in new window<\/a>\u00a0]<\/p>\n The main supermarkets in the State knock 10 cent off a two-litre container of milk, a move which is prompted by Lidl. It also promises a range of other cuts in the weeks ahead. <\/p>\n The impact of Budget 2026 can best be described as minimal. There were no tax changes or one of measures to speak of. <\/p>\n November Irish Life Health announces another price increase averaging 5 per cent. It comes into effect from January 1st with the cumulative impact of multiple increases over recent months likely to see the cost of some policies jump by well over 10 per cent.<\/p>\n Bank of Ireland announces a new type of bridging finance to allow homeowners to trade up or down without first having to sell the home they live in.<\/p>\n Irish mobile phone and broadband customers could once more be allowed to shop around for better value mobile and broadband packages when price hikes are announced if proposed legislative changes get the green light.<\/p>\n![\"Re-turn](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/L65WNUTMIRB5BHQFJO6SHROFVA.jpg\")
Re-turn CEO, Ciaran Foley, demonstrates the recycling system for plastic bottles. Photograph: Enda O’Dowd <\/p>\n![\"Scammers](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/GPO5Q4EFBANFI7VK772ADBLP5I.jpg\")
Scammers target more than three-quarters of Irish adults with bogus text messages, emails, calls or online content every month, research finds. Photograph: Yui Mok\/PA Wire <\/p>\n![\"Easter](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/7AUHRBEDMFHCPKQGVMVJX2D4LA.jpg\")
Easter eggs are likely to cost up to 50 per cent more this year than they did last year, Which? suggests. Photograph: Getty Images <\/p>\n![\"Smokers](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/MOPMRXCPAJBILOMM4LX6OBKVQQ.jpg\")
Smokers pay tens of thousands of euro more for life insurance and mortgage protection than non-smokers, research finds. Photograph: Getty Images <\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/6OQOHQQ75ZBKPFLQNBD7EJ4FJ4.jpg\")
A \u20ac250 million EuroMillions jackpot is won by someone in Cork in May. Photograph: Jonathan Raa\/NurPhoto via Getty Images <\/p>\n![\"It](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/ZZ7U736EKNBXRDGX5BBXYYJXB4.jpg\")
It emerged that airline Ryanair offers staff commission if they identify oversized bags at boarding gates. Photograph: Jakub Porzycki\/NurPhoto via Getty Images <\/p>\n![\"All](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/UDWUMUXECJGWXBVYNPCEIX4OHQ.jpg\")
All the talk of dynamic ticket pricing is largely forgotten as Oasis perform in Dublin. Photograph: Dan Dennison\/The Irish Times <\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SYJ7IPOIUFHQZOCL22WYPK3EXE.jpg\")
The DAA apologises and promises to issue refunds after overcharging thousands of customers for parking at Dublin Airport. Photograph: Getty Images <\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/HSPQQ7ZD6VDAXBJDA2JLTA6CBE.JPG\")
The impact of Budget 2026 can best be described as minimal. Photograph: Nick Bradshaw\/ The Irish Times <\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/776C7VNGHNCAPAYM2PIVLGGRQM.jpeg\")
The cost of flights to Prague for Ireland\u2019s winner-takes-all World Cup play-off against the Czech Republic in March spring start to take off. Photograph: Attila Kisbenedek\/AFP via Getty Images <\/p>\n
![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/EOM4UPQHU5DVTCCDTE3AAJR234.jpg\")
The rate of grocery inflation stands at 6 per cent in December, according to Worldpanel. Photograph: Getty Images <\/p>\n