Pre-tax profits at the Irish arm of fast food giant, McDonald’s last year increased by 13% to €15.8m.

Girls studying science subjects took greater advantage than boys of changes to the college entry system that rewards average students for sitting higher level exams.

The launch of Cork Airport’s first direct transatlantic service last month helped boost its July passenger figures.

An Post has announced plans to increase postage rates from next month.

Intense scrutiny of multinationals’ tax arrangements, combined with a range of OECD measures designed to reduce tax avoidance, may have contributed to Facebook’s decision to undertake a major overhaul of its tax structure, according to a leading expert.

The company which owns Aer Lingus has reported a big rise in profits.

Facebook has reported a better-than-expected 51.7% jump in revenue for the final quarter of 2015 as new advertising formats and an improved mobile app drove a sharp rise in ad sales.

Cargo handling at the Port of Cork grew by nearly a million tonnes last year and oil traffic rose 20% as the economy began to pick up and business returned to levels last seen before the economic crash.

Almost all private sector staff, no matter where they work, can expect a salary increase of just over 2% next year, according to a major report published this morning.

Close to 4,000 startups were established last month as improving economic conditions encouraged more entrepreneurs into the world of business.

Hotel prices in Dublin and Cork posted some of the sharpest annual increases of city destinations in Europe this month, according to a leading online accommodation booking company.

Britain is to increase a tax on buy-to-let and second homes to ease demand for those squeezed out by house price rises, but early reactions from some analysts warned many undeterred investors will instead pass the cost on in higher rents.

Consumers already hit with huge insurance increases in the past 12 months could be facing further premium hikes, according to one of the country’s most prominent insurers.

Pre-tax profits at the firm that owns the exclusive five-star Conrad Hotel in Dublin last year increased by 11% to €1.025m.

Specialist building materials provider Kingspan has delivered a significantly better-than-expected full-year forecast, suggesting its 2015 profits should increase by nearly 70%, despite global economic confidence wavering.

Pre-tax profits at the main Irish unit of US security software developer McAfee increased last year by 7% to €25m.

There have been dramatic increases in the level of burglaries in many regions in the past year, with incidents of crime up over a third in Kildare and parts of Dublin.

Update 9.38am: The cost of renting in Dublin rose by almost 10 % in the second quarter of this year.

Analysts are anticipating a near €100m jump in annual trading profits for Kingspan, this year, following what the company itself called “an exceptionally strong start to the year”.

The Bank of England is taking a patient approach in its deliberations in relation to the timing and extent of interest rate increases, writes John Fahy.

Former Taoiseach John Bruton has issued a statement tonight, to say that he will not claim the proposed increase of the Ministerial pension.

Positive sentiment amongst construction firms has reached “very elevated levels” after a month which saw the sharpest increase in business activity for six months.

The spend by the Central Bank on third-party legal services last year increased by 23% to €3.2m, or a weekly average spend of €61,538.

All motorists are likely to see increased insurance premiums this year.

A 7.3% increase in the number of tourists was recorded in the first three months of this year compared to the same period last year.

There was a sharp increase in the number of robberies across Cork’s three Garda divisions in 2013 at a time when the incidence of such crime was falling nationally.

Data does not support the general perception that the incidence of suicide in Ireland is increasing, a senior official in the CSO has claimed.

Potential tax changes will make those on lucrative salaries almost €1,000 richer every year, while doing “nothing” for people on low incomes.