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#Consumer Affairs

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Given Aichen Chen and Lin Zhu's focus on food — including a restaurant at The Lough and two premises on Princes St — it's likely that food will play a central role at The Model Farm Bar & Bistro which they have just bought for €1.1m. Picture: Lisney</p>

commercial

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

<p>The Commission said Temu failed to comply with several requests for information during the raids.</p>

companies

Temu hit with EU charges for not cooperating in Dublin raid

<p>Children, older people, and those who are immunocompromised are at increased risk of severe illness if exposed to e.coli. </p>

news

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

Mallorca Protest Against Overtourism on Spanish Island

economy

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

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

companies

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

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

politics

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

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

New fast-food outlets don't 'create' jobs — they put extra pressure on our communities

New fast-food outlets don't 'create' jobs — they put extra pressure on our communities

The fast-food model delivers handsome profits to shareholders. But, far from creating jobs, each new opening puts further pressure on our communities and businesses, writes RICHARD JACOB

Tue, 07 Jul, 2026

FASHION-FRANCE-WOMEN-DIOR

Irish designers from Derry and Clare take centre stage in Paris

Jonathan Anderson from Co Derry presented his latest creations for Christian Dior — while Michael Stewart from Clare returned with his Standing Ground show in the Irish embassy

Mon, 06 Jul, 2026

AI Chatbot intelligent digital customer service application concept.

You now have a new legal right to speak to a human when buying financial products

From today, Irish consumers can refuse to deal with AI chatbots when buying financial products or services

Fri, 03 Jul, 2026

Number of mortgages in arrears falls by 3.5%

Number of mortgages in arrears falls by 3.5%

As of the end of March this year, there were just under 700,000 private residential mortgage accounts for principal dwellings, with a combined outstanding balance of €110bn.

Mon, 29 Jun, 2026

Woman using smartphone and credit card for online shopping on laptop

Caitríona Redmond: Consumers set to benefit from changes at EU level

Consumers can expect changes to distance contracts, and the labelling of honey and meat

Mon, 22 Jun, 2026

Scam warning for Irish consumers ahead of change to customs charges

From July 1, consumers who shop online from companies outside the EU, including the UK, will face charges on goods valued at €150 or less

Mon, 22 Jun, 2026

Pension power: How nuns drove the medieval economy before banking began

Pension power: How nuns drove the medieval economy before banking began

Women certainly had an active role in the 15th century economy — but convents emerged as key providers of pension annuities

Sat, 20 Jun, 2026

Waiting in court

Single defendant accused of brothel keeping, generated up to €14,000 in legal aid fees

New legal aid rules are due to come into effect on July 1, with solicitors planning to go on strike for the rest of the week in protest at changes including the proposed 'one accused, one fee' system

Wed, 17 Jun, 2026

Senior couple going over bills

Irish consumers feel more financial pressure than their peers across Europe – survey

Survey finds that most consumers plan to reduce spending, 33% have scaled back savings contributions, and 28% have drawn down existing savings to cover the cost of living

Tue, 16 Jun, 2026

Longchamp sues Dunnes Stores over handbags claimed to be ‘designer dupe’ of Le Pliage bag

Longchamp sues Dunnes Stores over handbags claimed to be ‘designer dupe’ of Le Pliage bag

Dunnes denies the claims of a French luxury brand which seeks injunctions restraining the retailer from infringing registered trademarks and from passing off the plaintiffs' goods

Mon, 15 Jun, 2026

Mounjaro price increase

Weight-loss drug users save hundreds on food as uptake triples

British households using drugs such as Wegovy and Ozempic are spending £418 (€485) less on food per year on average – survey

Wed, 10 Jun, 2026

Business partner handshake after the meeting. Financial and investment cooperation.

Merger turnover threshold in Ireland raised to €100m

Threshold for businesses planning a merger to notify the State's competition watchdog has been raised from €60m to €100m

Wed, 10 Jun, 2026

River Liffey, Dublin

Dublin business activity 'strengthened sharply' in first quarter

Grant Thornton Dublin Economic Monitor shows that S&P Global's PMI stands at 55.6, up from 53.2 during the last three months of 2025

Wed, 10 Jun, 2026

Chip off the old block: Would my kids play with my childhood Lego?

Chip off the old block: Would my kids play with my childhood Lego?

With the fifth ‘Toy Story’ film set to hit the big screen, Simon Tierney dusted down his old Lego to see if his daughters would play along

Mon, 08 Jun, 2026

Fruit and Vegetables stock images

GIY calls for help to expand 'Grow at school' to help push back against ultra-processed foods

Grow It Yourself wants the Government to pledge €3m to expand the education programme to help improve food literacy for health and wellbeing

Fri, 05 Jun, 2026

Man holding shopping basket with bread and milk groceries in supermarket

I compared grocery receipts from 2022 to today — here's how much more a basket costs now

This week, I used my historic records to check in on progress over the past four years and goodness, the price of a sample shopping basket has certainly changed dramatically

Mon, 01 Jun, 2026

Running Water Faucet

Tourist loses battle as Italian court rules tap water is not a consumer right in restaurants

Tourist took issue with only being offered a 750ml bottle of water costing €7 at hotel restaurant

Tue, 26 May, 2026

Government to oppose ban on ads for zero-alcohol drinks

Government to oppose ban on ads for zero-alcohol drinks

Social Democrats want to include 0.0 and low-alcohol brands in curbs on alcohol advertising

Tue, 26 May, 2026

Football ticket scam

Caitríona Redmond: Protecting yourself from ticket scams this summer

I got caught out in a football ticket scam, and I was mortified. Here's some advice on how to watch out for scams

Mon, 25 May, 2026

Manna refused permission to retain its Dublin drone delivery hub

Manna refused permission to retain its Dublin drone delivery hub

Fingal County Council's decision not to grant retention of the delivery hub at Porter’s Rd in Coolmine, Dublin 15 is a setback for the drone delivery service

Sat, 23 May, 2026

Car rental sign

Car hire warning as 40% of holidaymakers hit by hidden fees and booking issues, CCPC says

CCPC warns of hidden fees, long waits, and cars not matching their description among other problems

Mon, 18 May, 2026

wheelie bin

Caitríona Redmond: I asked Panda about its new fuel surcharge for waste customers

The slow trickle of increased prices across the Irish economy is making us all feel hard-pressed.

Mon, 11 May, 2026

Taoiseach Micheal Martin visit to Belfast

Ireland's new savings scheme will be capped to prevent 'uber wealthy' from exploiting it

Tánaiste said other countries have introduced caps on the amount of money that can be invested

Thu, 07 May, 2026

Senior couple going over bills

Pensions: Government will not back law giving retirees right to challenge 'pension raids'

Law would have given retired people a right to negotiate with former employers when their accrued benefits could be impacted by changes to their pension pot

Tue, 05 May, 2026

Saxenda: HSE gets 26,000 funding applications for just one weight-loss drug

Saxenda: HSE gets 26,000 funding applications for just one weight-loss drug

Ireland's national drugs budget is mainly spent on obesity, cancer, rare diseases, and diabetes — with some drugs such as Saxenda, patients seeking reimbursement must apply individually

Thu, 30 Apr, 2026

Prescription charges Ireland

Fuel crisis likely to add to medicines shortages in Ireland

HPRA got an average of 111 supply shortage notifications per month last year — a figure likely to rise given the Middle East conflict

Thu, 30 Apr, 2026

Consumer spending steady despite global shocks

Consumer spending steady despite global shocks

Irish retail volumes were 1.6% higher last month than in March 2025

Wed, 29 Apr, 2026

Passports at Krakow airport border control with travelers and staff in Poland

Europe’s smaller airports ‘under threat’ if fuel shortages trigger more cancellations

Jet fuel shortages caused by the Middle East crisis could shut some regional airports, the Airports Council of Europe has warned

Tue, 28 Apr, 2026

Caitríona Redmond: Why are you paying full price for your clothes?

By buying and selling on Vinted, you can save a pretty penny on your clothes shopping, and even make a little cash yourself

Mon, 20 Apr, 2026

Payment left for restaurant meal

Irish consumers 'bracing themselves for a major hit to their spending power'

Petrol, diesel, and home heating oil prices rose rapidly in March, leaving Irish consumers 'bracing themselves for a major hit to their spending power'

Fri, 27 Mar, 2026

Ryder Cup 2027 scam warning as tickets about to go on sale

Ryder Cup 2027 scam warning as tickets about to go on sale

Gardaí warn of fraud related to 'tickets, accommodation, merchandise, travel packages and every other event-related activity you can imagine'

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

Woman using smartphone and credit card for online shopping on laptop

One in three websites displayed incorrect discounts during Black Friday

Boots, DID Electrical, and Brown Thomas Arnotts successfully prosecuted by Ireland's CCPC as consumer watchdogs across Europe swoop on 300 online retailers

Thu, 26 Mar, 2026

Caitríona Redmond: E-scooters affect how safe public spaces are — rules need tightening

Caitríona Redmond: E-scooters affect how safe public spaces are — rules need tightening

There are some things consumers should be aware of if considering buying an e-scooter

Mon, 23 Mar, 2026

expensive to heat

Caitríona Redmond: Taking steps to reduce energy costs in an uncertain time

With rising energy prices and record energy bill arrears, how can we protect ourselves from further big bills?

Mon, 09 Mar, 2026

Energy bills

Government rules out energy credits as Middle East war sparks potential cost-of-living crisis

Government sources dismiss the idea of cost-of-living aid for Irish consumers as US-Israel-Iran conflict expands across the Middle East

Mon, 09 Mar, 2026