Ireland

Ireland’s Donohoe resigns as finance minister and Eurogroup chief to join World Bank

Paschal Donohoe resigned as Irish finance minister and Eurogroup president on Tuesday to take up a senior World Bank role, a surprise move that will leave the coalition government without…

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

UPDATED: The Netherlands also will boycott the Eurovision if Israel takes part

The Netherlands will boycott next year's Eurovision Song Contest if Israel takes part, Dutch broadcaster AVROTROS said on Friday, citing the "ongoing and severe human suffering in Gaza". The Dutch…

Read More Here

Arrests in crackdown on human trafficking network active across continents

Europol coordinated a joint action day between the Brazilian Federal Police (Polícia Federal) and the Irish National Police and Security Service (An Garda Síochána) against a criminal network involved in…

Read More Here

Majority of Irish Workers Aspire to Retire by 60 or Earlier

Nearly three-quarters of Ireland’s workforce hopes to retire by the age of 60 or sooner, according to new research by Royal London Ireland. The Retirement Aspirations survey found that 40%…

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

Why does Apple have to pay Ireland $14.4 billion?

Apple lost a long-running court battle with the European Union on Tuesday, resulting in the company being forced to pay 13 billion euros ($14.4 billion) in back taxes to Ireland,…

Read More Here

Higher VAT rate for Irish hospitality sector to remain

The Irish Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform has said the higher VAT rate for hospitality will remain, despite claims by the Restaurants Association of Ireland that hundreds of businesses…

Read More Here

EP elections – Ireland and Czech Republic voting underway

Today it is Ireland and Czechia's turn to vote in this year’s EP elections. Polling stations opened in Ireland today at 7am and at 2pm in Czechia, with both remaining…

Read More Here

UPDATED: Danish parliament rejects proposal to recognise Palestinian state

Denmark's parliament on Tuesday voted down a bill to recognise a Palestinian state, after the Danish foreign minister previously said the necessary preconditions for an independent country were lacking. Ireland,…

Read More Here

Israel infuriated by Ireland, Spain, and Norway’s recognition of a Palestinian state

Ireland, Spain and Norway announced on Wednesday that they would recognise a Palestinian state on May 28, prompting an angry response from Israel which said this amounted to a "reward…

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 recognise Palestine as a state this month

Ireland’s foreign minister has said his country will recognise Palestine as a sovereign state by the end of the month. Speaking to the Newstalk radio station, Micheál Martin said “We…

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

Poland is biggest economic beneficiary of EU from post-2004 entrants: report

Poland was the biggest beneficiary of EU membership among all countries in the region that joined the Community in 2004 and beyond. Between 2004 and 2022, the country’s GDP doubled,…

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

New Northern Ireland government calls for more money from London

Northern Ireland's new power-sharing executive called on Britain on Monday to boost its offer to ease the region's strained budget beyond the 3.3 billion pounds included in a deal to…

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

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

Sinead O’Connor, singer of ‘Nothing Compares 2 U,’ dead at 56

DUBLIN (Reuters) -Sinead O'Connor, the Irish singer known for her stirring voice, 1990 chart-topping hit "Nothing Compares 2 U" and outspoken views, has died at the age of56, Irish media quoted her family as saying…

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

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

An emotional Biden tells Irish parliament: ‘I’m home’

U.S. President Joe Biden told the Irish parliament he was "home" in an emotional address on the second day of a nostalgic three-day tour celebrating his Irish heritage as he geared up…

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

Northern Ireland’s DUP lawmakers to vote against new Brexit deal

Northern Ireland's Democratic Unionist Party leader Jeffrey Donaldson said that its members of the British parliament would vote against a central element of the government's deal with Brussels on post-Brexit…

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

UK PM Sunak: New Northern Ireland deal not about any one political party

New post-Brexit trading arrangements agreed between Britain and the European Union are about improving the situation for the people of Northern Ireland, not any one political party, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak…

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

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

23

Jan