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#Consumer Affairs

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>EPA sys concentrations of aluminium above recommended safety levels in Glanmire's public water supply on February 3 and March 2. Picture: iStock</p>

munster

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

<p>This summer's heatwave has caused havoc across large swathes of Portugal, Spain, France, and Greece. Picture: Valery Hache/AFP/Getty </p>

news

'Irish emissions goals unattainable on our current trajectory'

<p>As well as misleading promotions by influencers, the new EU Digital Fairness Act will address issues such as automatic renewals, transitions from free trials to paid subscriptions, and addictive design. Picture: iStock </p>

politics

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

Dunnes Stores

court and crime

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

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

comment-analysis

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

FASHION-FRANCE-WOMEN-DIOR

fashion and beauty

Irish designers from Derry and Clare take centre stage in Paris

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

A large green plastic oil tank in a rural Cornish garden

Petrol, diesel, and home heating oil suppliers to be quizzed over price rises

Enterprise minister Peter Burke to question energy suppliers after sudden increases in petrol, diesel and home heating oil prices

Fri, 06 Mar, 2026

Novo Nordisk requests HSE to cover Wegovy on medical card

Novo Nordisk requests HSE to cover Wegovy on medical card

So far only one obesity treatment — Saxenda — is covered for patients with a medical card or on the long-term illness scheme

Fri, 27 Feb, 2026

Adult woman holding a pill and a glass of water. Female taking medicine. Treating at home. Patient recovering in a hospital. Men

Eli Lilly's new GLP-1 pill could be more effective weight loss drug

Clinical trial suggests Orforglipron, prescribed for type 2 diabetes, may be an improved non-injection alternative to Wegovy and Mounjaro

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

Commission warns about 'dangerous' car seat head straps for children

Commission warns about 'dangerous' car seat head straps for children

The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) said they were being sold across online marketplaces Amazon, Cdiscount, Joom, Shein, and Wish

Thu, 26 Feb, 2026

A man is holding a remote control of a smart TV in his hand. In the background you can see the television screen with streaming

Caitríona Redmond: Streaming services could cost you €129 per month — will prices ever drop?

Has the Irish fascination with streaming gone too far, and is it costing us needless euros every year that would be better spent elsewhere?

Mon, 23 Feb, 2026

FRANCE-BANKING-CASH-ATM

Cash withdrawals continues to fall as the Government's access to cash legislation comes into effect

Number of contactless payments saw an increase last year of 6.8% to 1.6bn, compared to 2024, with a total combined value of €30bn — an increase of 12.6%

Thu, 19 Feb, 2026

An Unrecognizable Businesswoman Preparing A Package For Shipping

Life Hack: How to avoid scams on Vinted and what to do if you have any problems

Buying and selling on Vinted is getting more popular, but here's what to do if you think you've been sold a fake item or think a buyer is lying about your parcel going missing

Mon, 16 Feb, 2026

Caitríona Redmond: What's the deal with tipping these days?

Caitríona Redmond: What's the deal with tipping these days?

Tips are a vital way to give thanks for excellent customer service, but aren’t obligatory

Mon, 16 Feb, 2026

Financial Services Ireland calls for 'simplified, tax-efficient' investment vehicle for Irish consumers

Financial Services Ireland calls for 'simplified, tax-efficient' investment vehicle for Irish consumers

Call comes as part of FSI’s new five year strategy

Mon, 16 Feb, 2026

Large Tourist Bus Travels Fast In The City

NTA has spent an 'astounding' €35m on contactless payment system due in 2028

Cork councillor says it is an 'astounding sum to be spent' on a system which public transport users will not see for another two years

Fri, 06 Feb, 2026

Benny McCabe: Hike in the price of a pint unfairly hits publicans and their customers

Benny McCabe: Hike in the price of a pint unfairly hits publicans and their customers

Cork publican Benny McCabe writes that traditional Irish pubs are the guardians of a tradition and they and their customers keep getting walloped while big suppliers enjoy a taxpayer-funded subsidy

Sun, 18 Jan, 2026