Ireland

UK and French Vessels to Support Ireland in Policing Its Waters

Ireland is to deepen naval co-operation with France and Britain, including allowing their vessels to patrol Irish-controlled waters and offer protection during the EU presidency. The move towards deeper co-operation…

Read More Here

Ireland tightens immigration rules in bid to slow population growth

Ireland introduced measures to tighten its immigration rules that the justice minister said were aimed at slowing a "worryingly" high rate of population growth amid numbers seeking asylum that were…

Read More Here

UPDATE: Independent leftwing candidate Catherine Connolly wins Irish presidential elections

Left-wing independent candidate Catherine Connolly will become the 10th president of Ireland after winning elections by a landslide victory. Official results showed strong voter support for Connolly as president, a…

Read More Here

Micheál Martin elected Irish prime minister after chaotic opposition showdown

Fianna Fail leader Micheál Martin has been elected taoiseach (Irish prime minister) for the second time after chaos in the Dáil (lower house of Irish Parliament) subsided. The Dáil was…

Read More Here

Irish coalition eyes re-election as rival Sinn Fein falters

Ireland's two main governing parties looked on course to return to power in an election on Friday thanks to a giveaway October budget and a loss of momentum by opposition…

Read More Here

Irish PM’s party drops six points in pre-election polls

Ireland’s three main parties are almost neck and neck in the polls ahead of Friday’s general election, as the taoiseach, Simon Harris, struggles to contain the damage inflicted on his…

Read More Here

Simon Harris Faces Election Setback Amid Viral Controversy

When Ireland’s fresh-faced Prime Minister Simon Harris called an early election, his ruling Fine Gael party hoped for a “Harris hop” driven by his strong personal popularity. But the center-ground…

Read More Here

Ireland set to hold general election on Nov. 29, PM says

Ireland plans to hold a general election on Nov. 29, Prime Minister Simon Harris said on Wednesday, as his centre-right coalition bids to capitalise on a popular budget and a…

Read More Here

Irish PM to call general election this week

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said on Tuesday that he plans to call a parliamentary election later this week, likely setting up a polling date for the end of the…

Read More Here

Sinn Féin in Crisis: Leadership Challenges Amid Scandals

Sinn Féin, Ireland's leading opposition party, has entered a political tailspin amid a series of scandals that could derail its long-standing ambition to form the next government in Dublin. In…

Read More Here

Ireland ready to go it alone and restrict trade ties with Israel

Ireland won’t wait for the rest of Europe to restrict trade with Israel over the occupation of the Palestinian territories and expects to receive legal advice next week on whether…

Read More Here

Ireland is ‘not immune’ to security threats

Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris was commenting after a report that Russian intelligence allegedly recruited an Irish politician as an agent. The Sunday Times reported that Russian intelligence used a…

Read More Here

Qatar Airways Flight QR107 Turbulence Incident: Injuries and Emergency Landing

Six passengers and six cabin crew sustained injuries due to severe turbulence on a Qatar Airways flight QR107 from Doha to Dublin. The incident occurred while the aircraft was flying…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Ireland, Spain, Norway announce recognition of Palestinian state

Ireland, Spain and Norway announced on Wednesday that they would recognise a Palestinian state on May 28, saying they hoped other Western countries would follow suit, prompting Israel to recall…

Read More Here

E-scooters banned in Ireland for under-16s from next Monday

The use of electric scooters in Ireland by children under the age of 16 in a public place is to be prohibited from next Monday. Under new regulations signed by…

Read More Here

Ireland to raise smoking age to 21

Irish Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly will seek Cabinet approval this week for the legislation to increase the legal age by three years. The bill will be designed so that…

Read More Here

Harris becomes Ireland’s youngest premier

When Simon Harris made headlines in his local County Wicklow newspaper in 2003 for criticising the government, the future Irish prime minister was described as "a well-known local activist". He…

Read More Here

Harris pledges ‘reset’ as he becomes Irish PM in waiting

By Graham Fahy and Padraic Halpin Harris set to become youngest ever prime minister Varadkar unexpectedly quit four days ago New leader to focus on law and order, migration, farming…

Read More Here

Who will become Ireland’s next prime minister?

By Padraic Halpin DUBLIN, March 21 (Reuters) - Leo Varadkar said on Wednesday he would step down as Ireland's prime minister and the leader of the governing Fine Gael party,…

Read More Here

Ireland’s Varadkar unexpectedly quits as PM

By Padraic Halpin DUBLIN, March 20 (Reuters) - Leo Varadkar said on Wednesday he would step down as Ireland's prime minister and the leader of the governing Fine Gael party,…

Read More Here

Irish government ‘walloped’ by referendum defeats

Irish voters have rejected proposals to replace constitutional references to the makeup of a family and a mother's "duties in the home" in a significant defeat for the government. Prime…

Read More Here

Ireland to vote on removing ‘sexist’ references to women from constitution

By Padraic Halpin and Clodagh Kilcoyne Ireland is poised to vote on Friday - International Women's Day - to replace constitutional references on the importance of a woman's "life within…

Read More Here

Ireland to give UNRWA 20 mln euros after key donors suspend aid

DUBLIN, Feb 15 (Reuters) - Ireland announced 20 million euros ($21.46 million) in support for the U.N. Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) on Thursday and urged countries that have suspended funding…

Read More Here

Irish consumers slightly less gloomy heading into Christmas

DUBLIN, (Reuters) - Irish consumer sentiment edged a touch higher for the third successive month in December, likely in response to falling energy prices and expectations of lower inflation and…

Read More Here

Foreign multinationals in Ireland shed jobs for first time since 2009

Employment at foreign multinational companies in Ireland fell by 0.3% in the year to end-October in the first annual decline since 2009 as tech layoffs offset jobs growth in every…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Irish police make 34 arrests after unprecedented Dublin rioting

DUBLIN, Nov 24 (Reuters) - Irish police on Friday said they had made 34 arrests for rioting in Dublin overnight and that more protests could follow after the stabbing of…

Read More Here

Ireland in record $166 mln cocaine seizure after naval operation

DUBLIN, Sept 27 (Reuters) - Irish rangers made the country's biggest ever drugs seizure after a naval operation involving warning shots being fired at a Panamanian cargo vessel which had…

Read More Here

Rare Irish security debate to move away from a decades-long tradition of military neutrality

By Padraic Halpin DUBLIN, (Reuters) - Ireland must explore how to cooperate more closely with partners on international security, Prime Minister Leo Varadkar said at a rare public debate that…

Read More Here

Dublin Airport to cut charges by 25% for more fuel-efficient airlines

DUBLIN, May 19 (Reuters) - Dublin Airport plans to cut runway charges by 25% for airlines that operate planes with lower emissions, the Dublin Airport Authority (DAA) said on Friday.…

Read More Here

Irish consumer sentiment improves to 13-month high

DUBLIN, April 27 (Reuters) - Irish consumer sentiment increased sharply to a 13-month high in April on falling energy costs and a less threatening outlook for European Central Bank interest…

Read More Here

Irish data regulator warns against rushing into chatbot bans

DUBLIN, April 20 (Reuters) - Generative AI, such as OpenAI's ChatGPT, needs to be regulated, but governing bodies must figure out how to do so properly before rushing into prohibitions…

Read More Here

Biden Irish tour moves to Dublin for parliamentary address, castle banquet

DUBLIN, April 13 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden, a proud Irish-American, took his three-day tour of Ireland to Dublin on Thursday for an address to parliament and a banquet…

Read More Here

Ireland to consult public on military neutrality in wake of Ukraine war

Ireland neutrality remains widely popular Minister says must 'respond to new reality' Cites Russia's brutal disregard for international law DUBLIN, (Reuters) - Ireland's government is to ask the public for…

Read More Here

Irish unemployment rate unchanged at 4.3% in March

DUBLIN, April 5 (Reuters) - Ireland's unemployment rate held steady at 4.3% for the second month in a row in March, Central Statistics Office data showed on Wednesday. The jobless…

Read More Here

Biden, Irish leader Varadkar affirm support for UK-EU deal on post-Brexit terms

WASHINGTON, March 17 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden and Irish Prime Minister Leo Varadkar expressed support for a UK-EU deal on post-Brexit trade rules as the two leaders met to celebrate…

Read More Here

Ireland to vote on removing ‘outmoded’ references to women from constitution

Ireland plans to hold a referendum in November to delete references to a woman's place being in the home from its constitution, the government announced. While a wave of social…

Read More Here

Ireland vows to tackle drones after Dublin Airport shut six times

DUBLIN, March 3 (Reuters) - The Irish government vowed to tackle the problem of drones after a series of incursions forced the closure of Dublin Airport, the country's busiest, on…

Read More Here

Irish domestic economy in technical recession, still up 8.2% in 2022

DUBLIN, March 3 (Reuters) - Ireland's domestic economy fell into a technical recession in the final quarter of 2022, Central Statistics Office data showed on Friday, but still grew by…

Read More Here

Ireland sees inflation averaging 4-5% this year

DUBLIN, Feb 25 (Reuters) - Irish inflation is expected to average between 4% and 5% across 2023, lower than the 7.1% the finance ministry most recently forecast last September, Finance…

Read More Here

Ireland hails protocol progress, says Sunak deserves space to seal deal

Ireland's prime minister said Britain and the European Union have made "huge progress" on easing post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland and that British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak should be…

Read More Here

Irish unemployment rate steady at 4.4% in January

DUBLIN, Feb 1 (Reuters) - Ireland's unemployment rate was 4.4% in January, the same level as December following an upward revision, Central Statistics Office data showed on Wednesday. The jobless…

Read More Here

Irish finance minister sees inflation falling ‘quite quickly’ in 2023

DUBLIN, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Inflation in Ireland appears to have peaked and should fall "quite quickly" across the remainder of the year, Finance Minister Michael McGrath said on Wednesday.…

Read More Here

Irish services sector growth picks back up in December

DUBLIN, Jan 5 (Reuters) - Expansion in the Irish services sector picked up in December following four straight months of slowing growth to push overall activity in the private sector…

Read More Here

Varadkar faces familiar problems in return as Irish PM

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Leo Varadkar returned as Irish prime minister on Saturday to again face the intractable housing crisis that cost him a full second term and made Sinn Fein…

Read More Here

Varadkar targets housing crisis on return as Irish PM

DUBLIN (Reuters) -Leo Varadkar was elected Irish prime minister for the second time on Saturday, taking over from Micheál Martin under a novel rotation arrangement struck between their two parties…

Read More Here

Micheál Martin resigns as Taoiseach in a planned handover of power

Micheál Martin has formally resigned as Ireland’s premier, paving the way for Leo Varadkar to succeed him in a planned handover of power. Mr Varadkar will later be confirmed as…

Read More Here

Irish inflation hits 38-year high of 9.2%

DUBLIN, Nov 10 (Reuters) - Annual inflation in Ireland hit a 38-year high of 9.2% in October, up from 8.2% a month earlier after fresh electricity and gas price increases…

Read More Here

Rishi Sunak seeks to rebuild UK relations with devolved leaders at Irish summit

LONDON (Reuters) - Rishi Sunak will become the first British prime minister in 15 years to attend the British-Irish Council summit on Thursday and meet with the leaders of the…

Read More Here

Irish consumer sentiment improved slightly in October

DUBLIN, Oct 20 (Reuters) - Irish consumer sentiment improved slightly in October as consumers took some comfort from government measures introduced in its annual budget to support household spending, a…

Read More Here

Irish inflation, house price growth slow slightly year-on-year

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Irish inflation and house price growth both slowed year-on-year, Central Statistics Office data showed, with annual inflation easing for the second month in a row in September…

Read More Here

King Charles offers condolences to Ireland after petrol station explosion

LONDON, Oct 10 (Reuters) - Britain's King Charles offered his condolences on Monday to those who lost loved ones in an explosion at a petrol station in the Irish county…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Ireland ‘numb’ as death toll at petrol station explosion reaches nine

DUBLIN, Oct 8 (Reuters) - At least nine people have died after an explosion at a petrol station in the Irish county of Donegal, Irish police said on Saturday, with…

Read More Here

Ireland sees ‘flicker of optimism’ in post-Brexit N.Ireland dispute

DUBLIN, Oct 7 (Reuters) - A genuine effort by the new British government to settle a long running post-Brexit trade row over Northern Ireland has created a "flicker of optimism"…

Read More Here

Ireland aims to ease cost of living squeeze with ‘two budgets in one’

DUBLIN (Reuters) -Ireland will deliver what ministers have called two budgets in one on Tuesday, making higher than usual spending increases and tax cuts while also helping firms and consumers…

Read More Here

Irish consumer sentiment tumbles to 14-year low on higher energy costs

DUBLIN, Sept 22 (Reuters) - Irish consumer sentiment tumbled to levels last seen during the global finance crisis 14 year ago as concerns about the impact of sharply higher energy…

Read More Here

Ireland to increase state pension for those who work beyond 66

DUBLIN, (Reuters) - Ireland will offer anyone over 66 a higher state pension the longer they stay in work, sidestepping a recommendation by a government-appointed commission to gradually increase the…

Read More Here

Ireland to turn heat down in public buildings, shut empty office floors

DUBLIN (Reuters) - Ireland will turn the heating down in public buildings and ask public sector office employees to work on the same floor under energy-saving measures set to be…

Read More Here