#Cost of living

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

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

travel background
As three in five under-25s consider leaving the country, we must act to help young people
Young people's needs are continually neglected even though they are disproportionately impacted by the housing crisis, writes Kathryn Walsh

Wed, 10 Sep, 2025

Electric bill charges paper
Energia confirms double-digit October electricity price rise
Energia says higher electricity bills are 'unavoidable' as system operator and network charges climb, with no change to gas prices

Tue, 09 Sep, 2025

Sad boy standing alone in the hallway
Housing costs drag 20% of Irish children into poverty, ESRI research shows
The ESRI shows that child poverty levels are currently on a par with the years following the 2008 financial crash when the skyrocketing cost of housing is factored in

Tue, 09 Sep, 2025

Sinn Féin won't impose whip as they leave decision on presidential candidate until later this month
Sinn Féin won't impose whip as they leave decision on presidential candidate until later this month
The party does not intend to state whether it will run a candidate or back a party outsider until later this month, which Mary Lou McDonald said is 'plenty of time'

Mon, 08 Sep, 2025

Colorful assortment of Quality Street chocolate wrapped in metallic foil, delicious candy produced and sold by Nestle company
Shrinkflation bites as boxes of Quality Street and Celebrations lose weight
Toblerone and Chocolate Orange also smaller this year after poor cocoa harvests in Africa raise cost of raw materials

Mon, 08 Sep, 2025

A pensioner adjusting the temperature control on his combi boiler. Redcar, UK. 26/5/2021. Photograph: Stuart Boulton.
Energy regulator warns of ‘historic’ arrears as electricity credits end and prices climb
Nearly half a million households are already behind on bills, with regulator warning arrears will worsen as government credits end

Tue, 02 Sep, 2025

Close-up boy studying at home with tablet and doing school homework. Distance learning online education or stay at home concept.
Charity warns of 'digital divide' as parents unable to afford school devices for children
School reliance on costly digital devices is undermining the benefits of the free books scheme, the Society of St Vincent de Paul warns

Mon, 01 Sep, 2025

New car production
CSO retail index see strong growth in July boosted by motor sales 
However retail sales in some sectors have been falling including larger-than-expected 3.5% declines in categories including newspapers, books, and department stores

Thu, 28 Aug, 2025

Driver Delivering Online Grocery Order
Donal Hickey: Food waste is a big problem for our pockets and for the planet
When food is wasted, all the resources used in bringing food to our tables are wasted too. Reducing your food waste is a key action you can take to help the environment and save money too

Thu, 28 Aug, 2025

Cost of electricity: halogen bulb and twenty Euro notes
A perfect storm: Rising energy, health insurance and food bills pile pressure on Irish families
Electricity bills will rise by €29 a year while health insurance premiums jump 3%, compounding grocery and inflation pressures

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

27/5/2010. Government to sell VHI
VHI becomes the latest health insurer to announce price hike
VHI will increase health insurance premiums by 3% from October 2025, following similar hikes by Laya and Irish Life

Tue, 26 Aug, 2025

young mum queries a bill on the phone .
Consumer sentiment improves marginally in August but cost-of-living concerns rise 
Irish League of Credit Unions index shows consumer sentiment index reached 61.1 during August, up from the 59.1 figure reported for July

Tue, 26 Aug, 2025

Cork among most expensive places in country to go to college, study finds
Cork among most expensive places in country to go to college, study finds
Letterkenny, Sligo, and Dundalk are the cheapest towns to go to college

Tue, 19 Aug, 2025

Paul Hosford: What will it take to put childcare front and centre in the national conversation?
Paul Hosford: What will it take to put childcare front and centre in the national conversation?
For 20% of families, fees have not only not gone down, they have gone up in the months following an election in which the prohibitive cost of childcare was a key factor

Sat, 16 Aug, 2025

Budget supports for life sciences firms hit by US tariffs a 'priority', says finance minister
Budget supports for life sciences firms hit by US tariffs a 'priority', says finance minister
Paschal Donohoe once again reiterated that there will be no cost-of-living package in October's Budget

Wed, 13 Aug, 2025

'Voluntary' contributions, digital devices and other costs make education anything but free
'Voluntary' contributions, digital devices and other costs make education anything but free
If Ireland is to be a country where every child can achieve their right to education, we must ensure that education is not only free in name, but free in practice, writes Niamh Dalziel of the Society of Saint Vincent De Paul

Fri, 08 Aug, 2025

Unrecognizable supermarket aisle as background
No evidence of price gouging in supermarkets, says consumer watchdog 
It comes as households are still feeling the pinch to a much greater extent at the grocery tills, as new figures showed the cost of food is still rising at almost three times the rate of general inflation

Thu, 07 Aug, 2025

5/12/2012 Budget Day
Over €157m in welfare overpayments identified last year
Inspectors conducted some 85,000 investigations across all welfare schemes with a further 15,700 probes conducted into suspected fraud

Wed, 06 Aug, 2025

'I will go into debt until March': Parents reveal what they do to afford school costs
'I will go into debt until March': Parents reveal what they do to afford school costs
The annual Back to School survey for children’s charity Barnardos found that more than half of parents are worried about how they’ll meet the costs this year

Wed, 06 Aug, 2025

Cork Crime: Soaring prices drive a surge in the theft of meat 
Cork Crime: Soaring prices drive a surge in the theft of meat 
Shoplifters are stealing expensive cuts of prime steaks and legs of lamb for sale on the black market

Mon, 04 Aug, 2025

Cost of electricity: halogen bulb and twenty Euro notes
Irish consumers to see lower electricity bills as levy to fund renewable energy to fall 38%
PSO levy for domestic consumers to fall from almost €39 currently to €24 from October

Fri, 01 Aug, 2025

Alcohol Drinking - Stock
Reducing Vat rate a blunt and costly policy instrument for hospitality 
The sector was subject to the lower Vat rate of 9%  from 2011 to 2018, and again from late 2020 to mid-2023 at an estimated cost of €3.6bn

Fri, 01 Aug, 2025

Chris Heinhold: Would a reduced Vat rate have saved my restaurant? Probably not
Chris Heinhold: Would a reduced Vat rate have saved my restaurant? Probably not
For us, like many small businesses that are owner-operated and facing spiralling costs and unsustainable debt, no one solution could have saved us from closure

Fri, 01 Aug, 2025

Government press conference
Jim Power: Budget countdown begins with big promises  
Delivery on time and on budget of the aspirations in the revised National Development Plan — energy, water, housing, transport infrastructure, and climate change — will be essential 

Sun, 27 Jul, 2025

Tapped out: What went wrong for Killarney Brewing and Distilling?
Tapped out: What went wrong for Killarney Brewing and Distilling?
Once a cross-Atlantic drinks venture, Killarney Brewing collapsed under mounting debt, global headwinds, and post-pandemic pressures

Sat, 26 Jul, 2025

Government may delay hospitality Vat cut to mid-2026 amid budget tradeoffs
Government may delay hospitality Vat cut to mid-2026 amid budget tradeoffs
A potential delay to the VAT reduction from 13.5% to 9% could free up nearly €1bn for other measures

Thu, 24 Jul, 2025

Irish food and alcohol prices among highest in Eurozone, with basic groceries far above EU average
Irish food and alcohol prices among highest in Eurozone, with basic groceries far above EU average
CSO figures reveal Irish consumers pay steep markups for essentials as charities warn of worsening cost-of-living crisis

Wed, 23 Jul, 2025

Calculating energy efficiency and energy bill papers
High utility prices means families cannot take 'shock' of cancelled energy credits, opposition says
Simon Harris took aim at Sinn Féin finance spokesperson Pearse Doherty for Dáil contributions by himself and other Sinn Féin TDs which suggested that SuperValu was owned by an American multinational

Thu, 17 Jul, 2025

Housing and planning measures
Micheál Martin and Mary Lou McDonald clash over inflation pressures on families
McDonald accused the Government of preparing to throw families “under the bus” in the upcoming budget, while Mr Martin said the Sinn Féin leader was “oblivious” to the economic climate

Wed, 16 Jul, 2025

Cost of living crisis
'I hate asking parents for money': Primary schools struggle amid the cost-of-living crisis 
School principals in Limerick and Louth tell Jess Casey the forthcoming capitation grant rise will not be enough amid surging prices of everything from utilities to insurance

Tue, 15 Jul, 2025

Child poverty
Charity calls for targeted measures to help financially insecure families with soaring cost of living
'Rising poverty and homelessness rates should not be happening in a wealthy country with a growing economy'

Tue, 15 Jul, 2025

Close up spouses calculating family budget paying online using laptop
MABS sees 10% surge in families in debt due to soaring cost of living
Money Advice and Budgeting Service calls for targeted supports in Budget 2026 amid spiralling cost of housing and utilities 

Mon, 14 Jul, 2025

Full shopping cart, customer is stocking vital needs because of global chaos. Shopping with blur supermarket store products, int
'Eat or heat': Irish families cut back on food and other essentials as prices surge 4.6%
Families are buying less, or poorer quality, food as CSO reports grocery price rises at double the general inflation rate

Fri, 11 Jul, 2025

Shopping basket staples rose in price by 4.6% in the past year
Shopping basket staples rose in price by 4.6% in the past year
But overall Consumer Price Index rises by 1.8% in year to June, says CSO 

Thu, 10 Jul, 2025

Family shopping in supermarket
Families across Ireland 'scrimping and saving' to afford basic food, Dáil told
Social Democrats TD Jennifer Whitmore said shopping bills had risen €3,000 a year and called for supermarkets to be required to report their profits in Ireland

Wed, 09 Jul, 2025

Government is 'very committed' to reducing the cost of living, Taoiseach insists 
Government is 'very committed' to reducing the cost of living, Taoiseach insists 
Micheál Martin was responding to criticism from members of the opposition 

Tue, 08 Jul, 2025

Mother and son looking out of window
'There’s not much left for any pleasures in life. It’s grim and not getting any better'
Parents are borrowing money to buy food, cancelling medical insurance, and already 'dreading' next winter’s fuel bills

Tue, 08 Jul, 2025

US Ambassador to Ireland hosts 4th July celebrations
Elaine Loughlin: College fees could be the snag that will unravel an already fractious Coalition 
Fianna Fáil and Fine Gael had long been eyeing each other with growing distrust, long before Simon Harris and James Lawless blew up the discord over student fees

Sun, 06 Jul, 2025

Excited group of college graduates throwing their hats in celebration
Mick Clifford: Third-level fee rise sparks backlash — but who is really hardest hit?
The backlash over third-level fees exposes not just political short-termism, but a deeper failure to prioritise true hardship

Sat, 05 Jul, 2025

Welfare row: Taoiseach moves to dismiss proposals for two-tier system
Welfare row: Taoiseach moves to dismiss proposals for two-tier system
It comes after Tánaiste Simon Harris said there is 'merit' in unemployment benefit not rising at the same rate as other social welfare payments, such as pensioners

Fri, 04 Jul, 2025

Cost of living crisis
Government rules out cost-of-living package despite another surge in corporation tax receipts
The Government has already warned the next budget will be more restrained than previous years

Fri, 04 Jul, 2025

Aren't we all sick of watching dull rich people by now?
Aren't we all sick of watching dull rich people by now?
In the week after the most lavish wedding of all time, die-hard Sex and the City fan Cathy Cullen on And Just Like That, where everybody is rich and deathly dull

Fri, 04 Jul, 2025

Detail of a man shopping in supermarket
Monthly supermarket spending surges by more than €90m
Further evidence of the rapid rise in food prices

Wed, 02 Jul, 2025

Tánaiste insists student fees will be reduced despite coalition tension
Tánaiste insists student fees will be reduced despite coalition tension
Simon Harris moved to stress that the coalition remains committed to lowering the cost of third-level education

Tue, 01 Jul, 2025

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