The Taoiseach’s address to the nation on Saint Patrick’s night set a pretty perfect tone for where we find ourselves at the moment.

The Government was urged this evening to take “costly but bold measures” to guarantee Irish small and big companies from collapse

Investors and banks across the world have handed the Irish State €1bn in free money and will effectively pay more again to keep it safe, as global markets continued to reel from the fallout of the Covid-19 outbreak.

The CSO last Friday published the first estimate for growth in the Irish economy last year and there were no surprises.

The Irish economy is heading into recession a senior economist has warned, as official measures designed to defeat the Covid-19 outbreak hits the jobs-rich industries of tourism, hospitality, and retail.

The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) is working on scenarios that take account of significant hits to the Irish economy should the coronavirus crisis lead to the Government imposing long periods of quarantine.

The hazards and futility of trying to forecast the future have been highlighted in dramatic fashion by the escalation of the Coronavirus.

Ireland’s tourism industry is under “considerable pressure”, with costs, Brexit uncertainty, and the coronavirus all potential headwinds this year, a leading economist has warned.

It is quite ironic that in the days since the Government was given a major thumbs down in general election, the economic news continues to improve.

As we begin the potentially torturous process of trying to cobble a government together for an electorate that clearly voted for change but really doesn’t appear to know what that change should look like, the stakes are incredibly high.

Jim Power There was a time when for the party in government, the health of the labour market was always an incredibly important variable and one which was a reasonable predictor of how that party would fare in a subsequent general election.

New cars registrations for January are down 3.5% from the first month of 2019.

From public spending and tax cuts, to pension reforms and house-building, some of the proposals from parties chasing your vote do not add up, writes Jim Power

There has also been sharp criticism from Fianna Fáil’s finance spokesman Michael McGrath, who said Sinn Fein’s manifesto is “the stuff of Santa Claus”.

As the great and the good congregate in Davos this week, the mood is somewhat more sombre than we have seen for some time.

After lots of shadow boxing and speculation, the general election has come a little bit sooner than many might have expected.

While the Irish economy maintained an upward trajectory in 2019, it has been a trickier year for SMEs.

The trouble with paying too much attention to social media is that one risks becoming brainwashed with the drivel that passes for discourse on many social media channels.

Irish workers are in line for the highest salary increases in the EU next year, according to a report from advisory firm Willis Towers Watson.

This is the year that the powerful farming lobby became considerably more fragmented, resulting in the very fractious picketing of meat factories; the intimidation of Bord Bia personnel at the annual ploughing championships; and the picketing of retail distribution centres.

The success of the Ludgate Hub has benefits that go way beyond those who work there, writes CEO Adrienne Harrington

The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has contracted a leading economist to determine what happens between the time beef leaves the farmer and when the consumer buys it.

The Irish Farmers Association (IFA) has contracted a leading economist to determine what happens between the time beef leaves the farmer and the time the consumer buys it.

Ireland will have to display confidence and strength in the face of Brexit and make sure that we do what needs to be done to ensure future growth and prosperity, economist Jim Power told the annual Michael Collins commemoration today at Béal na Bláth in West Cork.

So that’s Sunday nearly wrapped up. Here’s some of the stories we published on irishexaminer.com today which we hope will help you make sense of it all this evening.

In any negotiation, both sides must compromise, writes Jim Power.

Central Bank warns also of major economic slowdown, sterling crisis

A full-blown sterling crisis threatens Irish prosperity well before the end of October when the new London administration has threatened to take Britain out of the EU without a deal, economists and business groups have warned.

Thousands of jobs could be lost in the motor industry unless the Government takes action on vehicle registration bands (VRT) - as car sales continue to fall.

So that’s Thursday nearly wrapped up. Here’s some of the stories we published on irishexaminer.com today which we hope will help you make sense of it all this evening.

Doubling the amount of ethanol in petrol would significantly reduce our carbon emissions.

According to an AIB survey, a net 56% of Irish firms are anticipating higher average staff costs this year, which is well above the global average.

Business leaders in Waterford have hit back at criticism over the Government's plan to invest €5m in the region's airport.

All parts of the country are benefitting from more jobs, but the damaging over-concentration of employment in the greater Dublin region persists, leading economists have said.

So that’s Friday nearly wrapped up. Here’s some of the stories we published on irishexaminer.com today which we hope will help you make sense of it all this evening.