Cost of living

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#Cost of living

Articles and features relating to the increasing cost of living in Ireland

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Dermot Goode, of Health Insurance Ireland, said insurance companies will often bank on customers never reviewing the cost of their renewal policies.</p>

news

Consumers warned to check insurance policies amid 'perfect storm' of rising costs

Average premiums in the health insurance sector rose over 10% last year, while motor insurance premiums also increased by 4%

<p>The current unrest began among school students but has since grown, with trade unions and the Yellow Vests joining them in a national day of action on Saturday. Picture: Gauthier Bedrignans/Hans Lucas/AFPGetty</p>

comment-analysis

Riots in France may end like Paris '68 — and Marine Le Pen could be the biggest winner

<p>'We pay an awful lot more for energy because we have to import a significant amount of our energy on the island... We are producing more renewable sources of energy on the island, but one of the issues there is data centres are kind of gobbling up anything that we're producing.'</p>

news

Ireland the second most expensive country in the EU for consumers

Oireachtas staff strike

news

Formal talks on public sector pay dispute to begin at WRC on Monday

Limerick hospital staff say rising living costs make Government pay offer inadequate

munster

Limerick hospital staff say rising living costs make Government pay offer inadequate

Industrial strike

politics

Fórsa chief sees ‘pathway to talks’ if Government puts pay at centre of negotiations

As it happened: More than 300,000 public sector workers strike as union sees 'pathway to talks'

As it happened: More than 300,000 public sector workers strike as union sees 'pathway to talks'

Follow our live updates as a nationwide public service strike impacts schools, hospitals, local authorities and government services across Ireland

Wed, 14 Oct, 2026

A pensioner adjusting the temperature control on his combi boiler. Redcar, UK. 26/5/2021. Photograph: Stuart Boulton.

From a cold shower to a cold bed: TD cites couple with no heating as they live on €8 a day

Sinn Féin TD Pearse Doherty told the Dáil he spoke to a couple who ran out of heating oil because they had 'just €8 a day to live on'

Tue, 13 Oct, 2026

'We’ve been pushed and shoved' into strike action, teachers say

'We’ve been pushed and shoved' into strike action, teachers say

'I’m hopeful that maybe the Government will come to their senses and will realise we mean business'

Tue, 13 Oct, 2026

Dublin city centre incident

Public sector strike: Unions’ confidence in industrial relations process ‘severely damaged’

Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) calls for Government to restore confidence in pay negotiation process

Tue, 13 Oct, 2026

Fast shopping

Caitríona Redmond: How I reduce my weekly grocery shop spend

With food prices rising, here are some practical tips on how to decide where to shop and what to buy

Mon, 12 Oct, 2026

Nurses rally in Dublin

A nationwide public sector strike begins on Wednesday — here's what you need to know

Unions estimate that there will be between 300,000 and 400,000 public servants on strike on Wednesday as part of a row with the government over pay negotiations amid the cost-of-living crisis

Mon, 12 Oct, 2026

Irish Cabinet meeting

Budget's €34m in student supports will make third level more affordable, says minister

The package includes a €150 reduction in the student contribution charge, bringing the annual fee down to €2,350

Listen | Thu, 08 Oct, 2026

Kerry 80-year-old: 'You get the pension on Friday and on Monday there isn’t too much of it left'

Kerry 80-year-old: 'You get the pension on Friday and on Monday there isn’t too much of it left'

Ahead of Budget 2027, Seán Ryan wanted a raise of at least €25 a week for pensioners. A €10 increase was announced

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

Budget 2027: The main takeaways

Budget 2027: The main takeaways

Tax, housing, childcare, health, welfare and transport all feature in the Government's latest budget package. Here's a quick guide to the main announcements

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

Budget 2027: Fuel protest leaders warn action ‘will go ahead’ over diesel and petrol costs

Budget 2027: Fuel protest leaders warn action ‘will go ahead’ over diesel and petrol costs

Fuel protest leaders say hauliers and agricultural contractors are facing mounting costs and are preparing for further action

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

Budget 2027: €5k boost to new home grant — but first-time buyer stamp duty won't be scrapped

Budget 2027: €5k boost to new home grant — but first-time buyer stamp duty won't be scrapped

People buying second-hand properties will miss out after a proposal to scrap stamp duty was dumped at the last hour

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

On a Strike sign in red and white poster

Irish Examiner view: Both sides must work to settle public pay dispute

Schools, colleges, and hospitals are among the workplaces to be hit by pickets and stoppages next week

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

Thousands of teachers to begin first stage of work-to-rule campaign

Thousands of teachers to begin first stage of work-to-rule campaign

Teachers will join more than 100,000 public sector workers who began their work-to-rule last week, initiated after delays in agreeing a new public sector pay deal

Mon, 05 Oct, 2026

Cancer patients should not have to choose between heat and treatment

Cancer patients should not have to choose between heat and treatment

People going through cancer treatment should be able to focus on getting well rather than their finances or any delays to their treatment, writes Nikki Gallagher, CEO of the Irish Cancer Society

Mon, 05 Oct, 2026

Irish Budget 2027

Mick Clifford: Budget 2027 is showing who matters in Ireland — and who is being left with the crumbs

Mick Clifford contrasts proposed inheritance tax changes and fuel protest pressure with the threatened funding of a vital children’s programme

Sun, 04 Oct, 2026

The fuel protesters have the crowds. But do they have a political future?

Ireland’s fuel protest movement: Who are the three men behind the campaign?

James Geoghegan, John Dallon and Christopher Duffy say they want to channel public anger over fuel costs into political change

Sat, 03 Oct, 2026

Depressed crying little boy holding head in hands

Elaine Loughlin: Ireland has a cost-of-living crisis. But the gap between those living it is getting wider

As Budget 2027 approaches, stark differences in household spending raise questions about who really needs State support

Sat, 03 Oct, 2026

Budget 2027: Cost of living, housing and transport top Cork residents’ wish lists

Budget 2027: Cost of living, housing and transport top Cork residents’ wish lists

Cork residents highlighted housing, transport, education and living costs while identifying areas where they believe Government spending could be reduced

Fri, 02 Oct, 2026

People Before Profit alternative budget

Budget 2027: People Before Profit proposes ‘millionaires’ tax’ and €1.75 fuel price cap

The party’s alternative budget proposes higher taxes on wealth and corporations alongside major increases in welfare and public services

Fri, 02 Oct, 2026

'It is all going towards my rent': MTU students walk out on lectures in protest at cost of living

'It is all going towards my rent': MTU students walk out on lectures in protest at cost of living

'You’re looking at students spending anywhere from €14,000 a year to an excess of €16,000 a year to attend and survive in university'

Thu, 24 Sep, 2026

Irish Budget 2027

Budget 2027: Tánaiste says help is on the way for households facing higher energy bills

The Tánaiste outlined measures being considered as opposition parties called for further support for households facing rising energy costs

Thu, 24 Sep, 2026

Euro banknotes

Households face cost increases of up to €1,000 a year

While higher prices are expected every year, now people are facing into the prospect of rising costs from a place of avoidable disadvantage

Wed, 23 Sep, 2026

'We’ve had enough': MTU students to hold walkout over cost of living issues

'We’ve had enough': MTU students to hold walkout over cost of living issues

Among the issues highlighted will be the need for more affordable student accommodation.

Wed, 23 Sep, 2026

Budget 2027: Minister hoping to 'make significant inroads' on childcare costs

Budget 2027: Minister hoping to 'make significant inroads' on childcare costs

Small-sized childcare providers and childminders say they feel they are being squeezed out due to the policy being pursued by government

Wed, 23 Sep, 2026

Shoppers at supermarket Sainsbury's for their weekly shopping when special prices are on offer, dealing with the cost of living

Housing and cost of living top Irish voters’ concerns as immigration rises sharply, CSO finds

A new survey finds housing and living costs remain dominant concerns, while immigration has increased significantly since 2023

Wed, 23 Sep, 2026

A person calculating the cost of living with a phone calculator and a desk full of bills and till receipts.

Barnardos faces record backlog of families seeking help

The children's charity worked with more than 34,000 people last year, but says a growing number of vulnerable families are still waiting to access support

Wed, 23 Sep, 2026

Government urged to deliver cost-of-disability payment in budget

Government urged to deliver cost-of-disability payment in budget

Disability Federation of Ireland and other members of the Affordable Ireland campaign marched in Dublin on Saturday to highlight cost-of-living concerns

Mon, 21 Sep, 2026

Fianna Fail think in - Tullamore

Housing minister proposes €300 increase to rent tax credit

As Budget 2027 talks intensify, James Browne wants to see more renters draw down the tax credit

Mon, 21 Sep, 2026

Ireland has Europe's youngest population but some of the oldest nightlife laws in the world

Ireland has Europe's youngest population but some of the oldest nightlife laws in the world

Nightclubs have fallen sharply in number while operators face costly licences, outdated laws and challenges around transport and funding

Sat, 19 Sep, 2026

Alan Healy: When the economic numbers are this good, start asking questions

Alan Healy: When the economic numbers are this good, start asking questions

Headline figures remain strong, but housing costs, construction delays and multinational-driven exports reveal a growing gap between economic performance and lived experience.

Fri, 18 Sep, 2026

Medical Insurance Concept With Family And Stethoscope On Wooden Desk

Rural Ireland Thinks: Half of those surveyed had two-day wait to see GP

Also, 24% of respondents to the Ipsos/B&A poll for the 'Irish Examiner' have cancelled or reduced private health insurance

Fri, 18 Sep, 2026

Rural Ireland Thinks: Majority think Government has neglected rural pubs and way of life

Rural Ireland Thinks: Majority think Government has neglected rural pubs and way of life

The Vintner’s Federation said Ireland should look to EU compatriots like France, which offers grants of up to €80,000 to keep pubs, shops and cafés in the countryside

Wed, 16 Sep, 2026

National Ploughing Championships 2026

Home heating oil prices could be cut after Budget, Taoiseach indicates

Micheál Martin said the Government is examining measures to ease pressure on households facing high energy costs this winter

Tue, 15 Sep, 2026

New Taoiseach appointed

Elaine Loughlin: The coalition parties have work to do to win rural Ireland back

Irish Examiner poll finds two thirds of people living in rural Ireland feel independent TDs represent them best

Tue, 15 Sep, 2026

Weekly supermarket shopping

Caitríona Redmond: The weekly shop is about to get more expensive — here's how to prepare

Grocery prices are on the rise. Here's why, and here's my advice on what you can do now to prepare

Mon, 14 Sep, 2026

Cork students and the 'absolute horror' that is the scramble for accommodation

Cork students and the 'absolute horror' that is the scramble for accommodation

Students describe making do with hostels, couch-surfing, and long commutes — while experts see the shortage persisting despite the Government strategy launched in March

Mon, 14 Sep, 2026

Fine Gael think-in

Tánaiste signals boost to workers' take-home pay in Budget 2027

Simon Harris dials up expectations, contrary to public expenditure minister Jack Chambers' recent remark that workers would get 'a few hundred euro' in the budget

Thu, 10 Sep, 2026

Ryanair AGM

Ryanair chief Michael O’Leary defends calling rival airlines ‘high-fare rapists’

The Ryanair chief made the comments as he criticised rising air fares charged by rival airlines ahead of the company’s AGM

Thu, 10 Sep, 2026

ECCE-only preschools face commercial rates bills of up to €7,000

ECCE-only preschools face commercial rates bills of up to €7,000

Junior housing minister John Cummins has asked officials to examine legislative changes following bills issued to some providers

Thu, 10 Sep, 2026

Save Energy, Reducing Electricity Use

Bord Gáis Energy to raise electricity and gas prices by up to 10.6% from October

The increases will add an estimated €317 to the average household’s annual electricity and gas bills from October 9

Wed, 09 Sep, 2026

Taoiseach disputes latest ESRI report on child poverty, but concedes levels are 'too high'

Taoiseach disputes latest ESRI report on child poverty, but concedes levels are 'too high'

Mr Martin said “a wide range of measures” will be implemented in the next budget to alleviate pressures on families and individuals on lower incomes.

Tue, 08 Sep, 2026

Denise Charlton: There's a compelling argument for a children's budget

Denise Charlton: There's a compelling argument for a children's budget

Our series of reports show we are in danger of becoming the first generation in modern Ireland to pass on a poorer society to the next

Tue, 08 Sep, 2026

Woman taking out money from wallet

Caitríona Redmond: 10 things I've learned from living on a budget

This year marks 16 years since I changed my life for the better by spending less

Mon, 07 Sep, 2026

Fianna Fail think in - Tullamore

Stamp duty cut for first-time buyers on table for Budget 2027, Taoiseach says

Micheál Martin says there is still time to discuss tax cuts as he signals support for a proposal from Seamus McGrath

Mon, 07 Sep, 2026