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#Consumer Affairs

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>BAM was granted planning permission last month for a 495-bed student apartment scheme on Sullivan’s Quay in Cork. A number of such developments are in the pipeline, but experts predict the shortage will affect students for some years yet. <span class="contextmenu emphasis CaptionCredit">Picture: Pedersen Focus</span>
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spotlight

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

<p>Currently, people are permitted to receive tax-free gifts up to €460,000 across all three categories of inheritance tax for their entire lifetime. Any gifts beyond this threshold are taxed at a flat rate of 33%. Picture: iStock</p>

politics

Inheritance tax reform would boost value of windfalls

<p>Public expenditure minister Jack Chambers speaking to the media at Fianna Fáil's think-in at Tullamore Court Hotel in Co Offaly. Picture: Niall Carson/PA</p>

politics

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

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

news

Voucher repair scheme for clothes and shoes to be piloted

Alcohol Drinking - Stock

politics

Taoiseach leaves door open for cut in excise on alcohol

Installation of home heating.

news

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

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

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

S 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