Alan Healy: Trump's antics giving Ireland's households financial whiplash

Move by the ECB to raise rates is directly linked to the US conflict with Iran

From Liberation Day to Iran, actions by the US President have a direct link to household finances here.

The European Central Bank raised interest rates yesterday, an expected move that will instantly hike the monthly repayments of up to 190,000 Irish households on tracker mortgages and put pressure on the remaining 100,000 households on variable rates who will wait to see how their lenders react.

The ECB has been clear that its move is an attempt to address rising inflation, which itself is directly linked to conflict between the US, Israel, and Iran, which has heavily disrupted global oil supplies and spiked energy costs. The latest round of air strikes by both sides shows the supposed ceasefire agreement is in tatters, and any new talks will have to go back to the start.