Cost of living

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#Cost of living

Articles and features relating to the increasing cost of living in Ireland

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

<p>Irish Life chief executive Declan Bolger.</p>

companies

Irish life chief defends health insurance premium hikes

Declan Bolger says premiums are linked to claim costs and that health insurance is a 'very low margin business'

<p>The Taoiseach said firms also have a role to play now that global energy prices are coming down.</p>

politics

Taoiseach: Excise cut extension will be "definitively" decided on Tuesday

<p>The Government introduced excise cuts in mid-April to reduce the excise on diesel by 32c, and petrol by 27c. File picture </p>

politics

Tánaiste hints at excise duty cuts on petrol and diesel being extended

Local gift card scheme in Cork town sees €200,000 sales in five months

companies

Local gift card scheme in Cork town sees €200,000 sales in five months

Happy family on train station

economy

Living costs jump 24% as lower income families left behind, SVP report warns

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer Meets UK Executives

companies

Tesco's Cork chief executive Ken Murphy says poor weather putting dampener on growth

Worried man checking bills and looking at financial analysis of expenses at home.

Quarter of Irish workers could only cope financially for a month if their income stopped, survey finds

People in their 30s and 40s most vulnerable to financial shock if their regular income were to stop suddenly, while those aged 55 and over could cope for seven months on average

Thu, 18 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

Mick Clifford: North-South interconnector saga drags on for over two decades

Mick Clifford: North-South interconnector saga drags on for over two decades

Locals accept North-South interconnector is important to the electricity grid. But they are seeking 'procedural justice' and for every possible solution, including going underground, to be properly examined

Mon, 15 Jun, 2026

Irish Examiner view: Duty of care owed to prisoners

Irish Examiner view: Duty of care owed to prisoners

There are no addiction nurses employed by the Irish Prison Service, even though thousands of prisoners suffer from addiction issues

Sat, 13 Jun, 2026

Electric bill charges paper

Vulnerable households get less protection than well-off from energy price hikes, ESRI says

The Economic and Social Research Institute's associate research professor Dr Claire Keane said: 'More targeted measures could better protect vulnerable groups at a lower cost'

Fri, 12 Jun, 2026

US-POLITICS-TRUMP

Alan Healy: Trump's antics giving Ireland's households financial whiplash

Move by the ECB to raise rates is directly linked to the US conflict with Iran

Fri, 12 Jun, 2026

Close Up Of Woman Opening Euro Energy Bill During Cost Of Living Crisis

Renewed calls for energy credits as more than 500,000 in arrears on bills

Social Democrats deputy leader Cian O'Callaghan said the Russian oligarch Oleg Deripaska, a close ally and supporter of Putin, 'retains a controlling share of the company that has a majority ownership of Aughinish Alumina'

Thu, 11 Jun, 2026

Worried young couple with financial bills stock photo

Budget 2027 'must target people most at risk of fuel poverty'

The Just Transition Commission said reducing vulnerable people's exposure to price shocks would work better than 'universal energy credits and broad fuel price cuts'

Thu, 11 Jun, 2026

Irish suburban neighborhood

Housing affordability impacting younger generations' career and life decisions

Some 54% of Gen Zs and 54% of millennials in Ireland say they have delayed major life decisions due to their financial situation

Tue, 09 Jun, 2026

Housing stock

Dublin homes cost 13 times annual earnings, compared with six times in Belfast

CSO figures show higher incomes and economic output in Ireland, but significantly less affordable housing

Wed, 03 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

Close Up Of Woman Opening Euro Energy Bill During Cost Of Living Crisis

Irish people believe in climate change — we just don’t want to pay more for it

'Irish Examiner' poll finds strong support for incentives and infrastructure investment, but little appetite for new climate-related taxes

Mon, 01 Jun, 2026

People are holding banner signs while they are going to a demonstration against climate change

Climate change ranks behind housing, healthcare, and cost of living for voters – poll

Irish Examiner Ipsos B&A poll suggests we prioritise living costs, healthcare, and housing ahead of climate issues at elections

Mon, 01 Jun, 2026

Data centres 'help secure 94k Irish jobs’ – Government-commissioned study

Data centres 'help secure 94k Irish jobs’ – Government-commissioned study

Department of Enterprise-commissioned study warns that if data centre development is curbed, Ireland could miss out on €1.6bn in annual employment-related tax revenues

Mon, 01 Jun, 2026

Senior couple discussing over medical bill while sitting on sofa at retirement home

Cost of living, health, housing eclipse climate issue in people's priorities – Irish Examiner poll

Irish people surveyed do not believe the effects of climate change should be our top priority — and yet, the soaring cost of energy is among our highest priorities

Sun, 31 May, 2026

Electric bill charges paper

Electric Ireland customers to pay up to €138 more annually under new price rises

More than one million customers will face higher energy bills from July amid rising wholesale market pressures

Thu, 28 May, 2026

Irish Cabinet meeting

Free accommodation for Ukrainians to be withdrawn by March 2027

Free state accommodation for Ukrainians living in Ireland will be withdrawn by March 2027 and payments will be available to those who return home, the Justice Minister has said.

Tue, 26 May, 2026

Spotify Adds Covid Notices In Effort To Stop Rogan Boycotts

Spotify boss defends move to AI-generated music

Spotify’s chief executive has defended the company’s move into AI-generated music, claiming it offers users and creators a better alternative to piracy and unregulated AI slop.

Tue, 26 May, 2026

Consumer sentiment recovers slightly in May as energy cost concerns ease

Consumer sentiment recovers slightly in May as energy cost concerns ease

Economist Austin Hughes said the improvement in consumer sentiment in May could reflect two different developments — a ceasefire in the Middle East and the Irish Government introducing supports in response to the global energy crisis

Fri, 22 May, 2026

lease, rental and selling home. Real estate agent manager smile holding key for new owner. rent house, Sales, loan credit financ

Rents rose a record 4.4% after Government reforms came into force, new report shows

A new report suggests that landlords delayed putting properties on the market to take advantage of the new system

Wed, 20 May, 2026

Galway West: Fianna Fáil's young Cillian Keane wooing voters for transfers

Galway West: Fianna Fáil's young Cillian Keane wooing voters for transfers

Political Correspondent Louise Burne joined the youngest candidate in Friday's by-election as he put in the work on the doorsteps

Tue, 19 May, 2026

Homeless figures

Renters face return to parents' box room due to eviction threat - SF claims

Tens of thousands of renters do not know where they will be living in six months’ time due to the threat of eviction, Sinn Féin’s housing spokesperson has said.

Tue, 19 May, 2026

Irish Cabinet meeting

Student fees will only go down under Government, says minister

Higher education minister says future fee reductions will be delivered alongside targeted supports for struggling student households

Sat, 16 May, 2026

Fianna Fail Ard Fheis

Taoiseach promises family-focused Budget amid concerns over Iran conflict and oil prices

Government signals stronger focus on household supports as global instability threatens economic and budgetary projections

Sat, 16 May, 2026

Iran War Strait of Hormuz

Government must 'stop people freezing to death' in winter if Iran war continues, groups warn

Also, public expenditure minister Jack Chambers received Cabinet approval to introduce stricter spending controls to tackle department overruns

Tue, 12 May, 2026

Irish pubs are dying: VFI chief calls for emergency government action

Irish pubs are dying: VFI chief calls for emergency government action

'A pub is more than just a business. It performs a vitally important public function as a hub of social and cultural life'

Tue, 12 May, 2026

Cost of electricity: halogen bulb and twenty Euro notes

Energy suppliers not making 'excessive' profits from soaring gas and electricity prices, watchdog says

CRU report also suggests the average household could save €395 for electricity and €184 for gas a year by switching their tariffs

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

Nodding donkey in the desert, Kingdom of Bahrain

National Oil Reserve Agency boss: Middle East conflict has caused 'absolute uncertainty'

NORA generally holds 90 days’ worth of oil reserves – the release of those barrels would reduce that reserve to roughly 80 days

Thu, 07 May, 2026

Iran War Strait of Hormuz

Iranian-flagged oil tanker fired on by US fighter as Trump gives Tehran new ultimatum

The US military fired on an Iranian-flagged oil tanker on Wednesday, shortly after Donald Trump issued a fresh ultimatum to Tehran, telling it to accept a deal to end the war or face a new wave of US bombing “at a much higher level and intensity ...

Wed, 06 May, 2026

Richmond Village housing development

Taoiseach accused of 'gutless' response to rising energy prices

Micheál Martin defended the Government's record on the cost of living during Leaders' Questions in the Dáil

Wed, 06 May, 2026

evening traffic at airport

Two million airline seats cut amid soaring jet fuel prices

Rescheduling in May could be followed by summer cancellations as Middle East war continues to disrupt fuel supplies

Wed, 06 May, 2026

Meet the Irish electrician turning rubbish into renewable energy devices

Meet the Irish electrician turning rubbish into renewable energy devices

Former electrician Barra Mulligan has spent 20 years transforming everyday scrap into homemade wind and river turbines, writes Sarah Horgan

Sun, 03 May, 2026

By-election candidates accuse Government of 'gaslighting' the public in fiery debate

By-election candidates accuse Government of 'gaslighting' the public in fiery debate

The fiery debate featured Janice Boylan of Sinn Féin, Social Democrat Daniel Ennis, Fine Gael’s Ray McAdam, and Ruth O’Dea of the Labour Party

Sun, 03 May, 2026

National Fuel Protest

Further fuel protests will take place before October's budget, spokesmen say

James Geoghegan and John Dallon were the main spokespeople for fuel protests that blocked off O’Connell Street in Dublin for days last month

Sat, 02 May, 2026

Save Energy, Reducing Electricity Use

Prepay Power hikes bills as over one million households warned of rising energy costs

Energy supplier announces price increases citing rising wholesale costs, with further hikes expected across the market in coming weeks

Fri, 01 May, 2026

Energy costs

One in seven households struggle with energy bills as ESRI urges targeted supports

Study finds widespread energy affordability challenges and suggests targeted supports could reduce costs while better helping vulnerable households

Thu, 30 Apr, 2026

Spotify hikes prices again — but subscriber numbers and revenue keep climbing

Streaming giant increases subscription costs in key markets while continuing to expand its global user base and revenues

Wed, 29 Apr, 2026

IRISH US

Bacik: Incoherent, whack-a-mole Government approach to cost-of-living

The Labour leader said the Government should stop refusing to hold a mini budget, saying it has essentially unveiled similar in multiple parts

Tue, 28 Apr, 2026

Fuel blockaders 'squeezed €500m from the public purse just like burger barons', says union leader

Fuel blockaders 'squeezed €500m from the public purse just like burger barons', says union leader

Owen Reidy said if the Government can find €1.25bn for those groups, it can afford a cost-of-living package for workers

Mon, 27 Apr, 2026

EPH Controls: From wheelbarrow beginnings to a new €15m HQ by Cork's Kinsale Road

EPH Controls: From wheelbarrow beginnings to a new €15m HQ by Cork's Kinsale Road

Cork company EPH is now the market leader in the Irish heating controls industry

Mon, 27 Apr, 2026

Israel-Hamas conflict

'People cannot wait': Sinn Féin calls for 'emergency budget' immediately

The Sinn Féin Ard Fheis started in Belfast on Friday evening and will continue throughout Saturday

Fri, 24 Apr, 2026

Irish Cabinet meeting

Taoiseach discounts mini budget talk saying 'bulk' of surplus has already been allocated

The Taoiseach also said he does not 'anticipate' there being a 'budget before the budget' on October 6

Fri, 24 Apr, 2026

Heathrow Stock

Holiday plans at risk? What Irish travellers need to know about flight disruption

Airlines are cutting schedules as fuel costs rise, leaving Irish travellers weighing disruption risks and consumer rights this summer

Fri, 24 Apr, 2026