It’s a good year for start-ups and John Daly hears there is plenty of help on hand for those looking to take advantage.

The enterprise minister announced 150 new IT jobs in Cork yesterday as the live register fell below 400,000 for the first time since May 2009.

Ministers are wasting €1m per year on “exorbitant” debit and credit card transaction fees, it has emerged.

Farmers yesterday said they plan to demonstrate outside Enterprise Minister Richard Bruton’s office to protest over the supermarket price war that has slashed the prices of vegetables to just a few cents.

Government spending on consultancy services is set to almost double this year from €19m to €36m.