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#Consumer Affairs

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Motor Services Limited has appealed to the planning commission for approval of its plan to build a KFC and Costa Coffee drive-thru at Turner's Cross in Cork. Picture: Larry Cummins</p>

commercial

Developer asks planners to reconsider drive-thru Costa Coffee spot at Turner's Cross

MSL Group said there was 'substantial precedent' of similar drive-thru coffee spots being approved in retail parks

MixCollage-17-Jan-2025-04-36-PM-3143

Are you taking regular medicines? This advice could save you money

<p>Since graduating with her MA in 2025, a student who spoke with the 'Irish Examiner' said she has been unable to register with the Teaching Council. File picture: Colin Keegan/Collins</p>

news

'I feel like an idiot': Portobello Institute graduates left unqualified for teaching jobs

STerry Prone: My pal's stint as a private eye didn’t last long

companies

Vinted is making charity shops trendy — but makes sourcing quality clothes more difficult

companies

Binance resumes withdrawals after record $6.3bn cyberattack theft

Display prices for paper bags or pay the penalty, consumer watchdog warns retailers

Display prices for paper bags or pay the penalty, consumer watchdog warns retailers

Warning follows number of complaints received to CCPC helpline

Tue, 27 Oct, 2026

Thousands of hairdryers sold in Irish Aldi stores recalled amid safety fears

Thousands of hairdryers sold in Irish Aldi stores recalled amid safety fears

“Anyone who has one of these hairdryers should stop using it immediately and return it to their nearest Aldi store for a full refund," Adele O’Sullivan, director of market surveillance at the CCPC, said.

Wed, 21 Oct, 2026

Whatsapp, Messenger, Telegram and other phone chat Apps on iPhone screen

Irish public has ‘clear distrust’ of proposals to allow State access private messages

In Irish Council for Civil Liberties survey, fewer than 20% of respondents said they would trust law enforcement to use a power to access encrypted messages without users’ knowledge

Wed, 21 Oct, 2026

A woman boils water for tea on a small tourist stove with dry fuel in complete darkness during a power and gas outage at home. B

Caitríona Redmond: Are you emergency ready? Here's my non-negotiables

Is the emergency booklet the new iodine tablet, or should we take some steps to put an emergency plan in place this winter.

Mon, 19 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

Man buying meat at grocery store

Hackers force fridge temperatures in hundreds of supermarkets up to 50C overnight

Intermarché and Coopérative ‌U among French supermarkets hit by 'unprecedented' cyberattack affecting several hundred stores across the country

Mon, 12 Oct, 2026

Belgium Europe Microsoft

Dublin AI summit ‘will not be affected by industrial action’

The International AI Summit in Dublin's RDS will bring together EU heads of state and global business leaders

Fri, 09 Oct, 2026

An ASOS delivery package resting on the floor along with letters received in the mail.

Asos says hacker accessed customers’ search histories along with names and contact details

Online retailer confirmed payment card details or passwords had not been accessed

Thu, 08 Oct, 2026

Scam Alert Notification on Smartphone Screen During Incoming Call

Life Hack: Worried about the Asos hack? How to protect yourself from a cyber attack

The apparent attack on Asos is a reminder of how important digital security is, including for our personal devices

Tue, 06 Oct, 2026

Packages left on the porch of a house

Caitríona Redmond: New EU charge will disappoint online shoppers — here's what you need to know

Before July, consumers paid nothing extra for non-EU packages. Now, lower-value products will become extremely expensive to import to Ireland

Wed, 30 Sep, 2026

Woman using smartphone and credit card for online shopping on laptop

Caitríona Redmond: Could you actually manage without digital devices?

From shopping to authentication, and more, without a digital device, it can be difficult to interact with Irish society

Mon, 28 Sep, 2026

Woman experiences problems while pay bills use cellphone and card

Caitríona Redmond: Can we trust what we see when buying online?

Authenticity is getting harder to spot. Here are some things you should look out for when buying online

Mon, 21 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

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

Couple have a consultation with financial advisor

Inheritance tax reform would boost value of windfalls

Neale Richmond opens the door to significant reform of gift and inheritance tax as the current model does not reflect modern families

Tue, 08 Sep, 2026

Fianna Fail think in - Tullamore

Budget 2027: Workers to get 'a few hundred euro' from 'modest' €1.5bn tax package

Jack Chambers said Government plans to lighten the tax burden in a 'progressive and sustainable way' over multiple budgets

Mon, 07 Sep, 2026

A woman tailor works at sewing machine sews reuses fabric from old denim clothes

Voucher repair scheme for clothes and shoes to be piloted

Irish officials met with their French counterparts to learn about the French 'Repair Fund' and the Bonus Extended Producer Responsibility Schemes

Wed, 02 Sep, 2026

Alcohol Drinking - Stock

Taoiseach leaves door open for cut in excise on alcohol

Publicans want the cut as reduced Vat on hospitality does not apply to alcohol. But Alcohol Action Ireland says the value of excise duties has been eroded by inflation since 2014

Wed, 02 Sep, 2026

Installation of home heating.

Plumbers and heating contractors raise concern about safety reform roll-out

APHCI supports the safety measures '100%' but says Ireland doesn't have the capacity to train registered installers in time — and that there are issues with the new online certification portal

Tue, 01 Sep, 2026

Air travel dominates Irish consumer complaints to EU watchdog

Air travel dominates Irish consumer complaints to EU watchdog

European Consumer Centre Ireland handled 4,182 queries and complaints in 2025

Thu, 27 Aug, 2026

Home and garden firm Rathwood was most complained about in first half of 2026

Home and garden firm Rathwood was most complained about in first half of 2026

Ryanair, Sky, Currys, and Harvey Norman were also in top five, says CCPC

Mon, 24 Aug, 2026

Ikea Ireland's profits more than doubled to €15.75m last year

Ikea Ireland's profits more than doubled to €15.75m last year

Ikea Ireland's revenues rose by only 0.36% to €247.33m amid subdued consumer confidence due to the cost-of-living crisis

Fri, 21 Aug, 2026

Express delivery. Receiving online purchase. Woman unpacking cardboard and taking pictures of purchases.

Caitríona Redmond: What you need to know about more charges on parcels from outside EU

New charges came into effect last July, and a proposed new handling fee is likely to be in place from November.

Wed, 19 Aug, 2026

Woman paying bills

Caitríona Redmond: The hidden costs of living alone

From housing and holidays to insurance and utilities, single adults often pay more for the basics. The toll isn’t always financial either.

Mon, 17 Aug, 2026

E-scooters: Website offers help to check if your scooter is legal

E-scooters: Website offers help to check if your scooter is legal

Warren Brandt's Safescoot.ie cautions that it does not offer legal advice — but a Cork councillor has welcomed the website's 'easier-to-understand' information

Thu, 13 Aug, 2026

Straight into my basket you go

Caitríona Redmond: Could fixed discounts on grocery prices help with the cost of living here?

There are moves afoot to fix or drop grocery prices in both New York and Scotland

Mon, 10 Aug, 2026

AI doesn’t force us to buy stuff we don't need, but it makes temptation more personal

Increasingly, artificial intelligence is helping decide not only what you see, but which sales pitch is most likely to persuade you, writes Sharad Gupta

Mon, 10 Aug, 2026

Huawei concerns

Huawei's Irish arm sees pre-tax profits rise by 53%

Pre-tax profits at the Irish arm of the Chinese tech giant increased to €10.2m last year as revenues rose 36% to €176.6m

Sun, 09 Aug, 2026

Ireland's next generation passport

Irish passport renewal reminder service to begin next year

But, due to data protection rules, the opt-in service will only apply to passports issued from 2027

Sun, 09 Aug, 2026

Chinese duo buy Model Farm pub in Cork for €1.1m

Chinese duo buy Model Farm pub in Cork for €1.1m

Bar and restaurant in Cork City's western suburbs likely to remain focused on food, writes Property Editor Catherine Shanahan

Thu, 06 Aug, 2026

Temu hit with EU charges for not cooperating in Dublin raid

Temu hit with EU charges for not cooperating in Dublin raid

The charges could result in a fine of up to 1% of Temu's total annual turnover

Fri, 31 Jul, 2026

Filling up a glass with drinking water from kitchen tap

EPA issue warning as E.coli found in private well water supplies across Ireland

EPA says hotels, creches, nursing homes, and schools that depend on water from private wells should ask whether it is 'safe to drink'

Thu, 30 Jul, 2026

Mallorca Protest Against Overtourism on Spanish Island

EU will help cities curb Airbnb-style short-term lets

Ursula von der Leyen to announce measure as Brussels aims to tackle the problem of housing affordability and supply

Wed, 29 Jul, 2026

Profits at Irish arm of Jysk fall due to cost of expansion

Profits at Irish arm of Jysk fall due to cost of expansion

Profits decreased at the Danish retailer by 84% as revenues rose by 22% — from €69.66m to €85.09m — on the back of new store openings in 2025

Tue, 28 Jul, 2026

Rural bus rollout slows to just four new routes in first six months of this year

Rural bus rollout slows to just four new routes in first six months of this year

An average of 24 new routes were introduced every six months between 2023 and 2025 — but just four were rolled out from January to June this year

Tue, 28 Jul, 2026

First-time buyer mortgages hit record high in first half of the year — BPFI

First-time buyer mortgages hit record high in first half of the year — BPFI

21,232 mortgages were drawn down in Ireland in first six months of 2026, with a total value of €6.78bn — up 5.1% in volume and 9.6% in value year-on-year

Tue, 28 Jul, 2026

Close Up Of Person With Addiction To Online Gambling Or Shopping Using Credit Card And Mobile Phone

Caitríona Redmond: How new €3 customs charge is changing online shopping habits

Items from outside the EU are attracting higher levies, but the quality of the goods is also coming under the microscope

Mon, 27 Jul, 2026

Revolut to offer institutional-grade investment opportunities

Revolut to offer institutional-grade investment opportunities

Revolut is partnering with firms including Apollo Global Management, Ares Management, Hamilton Lane, Allfunds, and Partners Group to offer access to select private markets funds

Mon, 27 Jul, 2026

Samsung Smart Glasses

Samsung: Smart glasses privacy issues needs industry-wide fix

New features added after a backlash from people wary of the devices being used for nonconsensual public recording

Wed, 22 Jul, 2026

Air fryer homemade grilled potatoes

Failing to clean air fryers properly highlighted as a key hazard

While some 60,000 air fryers were recalled due to safety concerns last year, the CCPC says people also need to know about safe ways to use and clean their air fryers

Mon, 20 Jul, 2026

Sink faucet dripping with the water drop in focus

Uisce Éireann failed to manage excessive aluminium level in Cork village water supply

EPA audit reveals excess alumninium and high turbidity — an indicator of pathogen and bacteria levels — in Glanmire in February and March

Sun, 12 Jul, 2026

TOPSHOT-FRANCE-WEATHER-CLIMATE-HEATWAVE

'Irish emissions goals unattainable on our current trajectory'

Environmental Protection Agency provisional greenhouse gas emissions data published as Europe endures deadly heatwave

Wed, 08 Jul, 2026

Pretty young vlogger recording make up tutorial

Influencers will be curbed under Michael McGrath's new EU Digital Fairness Act

New law is set to restrict promotion of products and services including plastic surgery, gambling, and risky financial products

Tue, 07 Jul, 2026

Dunnes Stores

Plans for flagship Dunnes Stores in south-east cleared after council drops court challenge

Waterford City and County Council withdrew its proceedings after the High Court indicated it was unlikely to rule in its favour

Tue, 07 Jul, 2026