#Cost of living

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

A COMPREHENSIVE SERIES OF ARTICLES ON THIS TOPIC

Worried man checking bills and looking at financial analysis of expenses at home.
One-off payments failed to tackle poverty — what will work is to index social welfare rates to average wages
Benchmarking social welfare rates to average earnings would help to mitigate the impact of rising costs, give long-term certainty to households on fixed incomes, and prevent widening income inequality

Wed, 24 Sep, 2025

Woman shopping at a grocery store and checking her receipt
Grocery price inflation increases again, putting further pressure on households 
Significant price rises in weeks leading up to September 7 came amid increased household spending as schools started after summer break, new data shows

Mon, 22 Sep, 2025

Adam Maguire: Irish Bailout Babies still paying the price of the financial crash
Adam Maguire: Irish Bailout Babies still paying the price of the financial crash
People who were children during the 2008 crash and subsequent bailout are struggling on inadequate pay and living in insecure rentals with little hope of starting a family, writes Adam Maguire

Mon, 22 Sep, 2025

Young woman 20s attempting to read and understand her electricity meter reading and energy bill
Budget 2026: 9% Vat rate on gas and electricity should remain – Jack Chambers 
Public expenditure minister said the 9% rate should be retained to prevent further price hikes for consumers

Sun, 21 Sep, 2025

Electric bill charges paper
SSE Airtricity to hike electricity prices with average of €151 added to annual bills
SSE Airtricity said that its unit rates for electricity and its standing charges will increase by 9.5% from October 20

Fri, 19 Sep, 2025

Irish Economy As Latest Retail Figures Released
Business groups warn minimum wage hike will mean many retail staff 'will not have jobs'
Chief executive of Retail Excellence Ireland Jean McCabe said the Government must share the financial burden with tax relief

Fri, 19 Sep, 2025

Leinster House media briefings
Proposed minimum wage rise which retailers claim would 'decimate' them is 'stingy', says TD
The 5% increase, as recommended by the Low Pay Commission, would bring the minimum wage to €14.15 an hour

Fri, 19 Sep, 2025

Nursing Home stock
Irish Examiner view: With no plan, catastrophe looms large for elderly
That the ESRI highlighted a potential future calamity in terms of our ability to effectively manage and care for our increasingly ageing population, should set alarm bells ringing

Fri, 19 Sep, 2025

Taoiseach accepts need to 'rein in spending' following Central Bank's warning
Taoiseach accepts need to 'rein in spending' following Central Bank's warning
MicheĂĄl Martin added that the impression that opposition politicians give is that the Government is 'spending very little' in the upcoming budget

Thu, 18 Sep, 2025

A pensioner adjusting the temperature control on his combi boiler. Redcar, UK. 26/5/2021. Photograph: Stuart Boulton.
Government urged to reverse 'terrible decision' to withdraw energy credits in budget
In response, Simon Harris said Sinn FĂ©in had had a 'bonkers idea' to keep energy prices down by 'giving taxpayers' money to energy companies'

Thu, 18 Sep, 2025

Month revenue of young couple
Overheating the economy could 'hamper delivery of National Development Plan and housing targets'
ESRI to warn TDs about winding down cost-of-living measures

Wed, 17 Sep, 2025

Action Plan on Competitiveness and Productivity
The five major issues facing the Government as it returns from summer holidays
As well as next month's Budget, the Government will have the housing crisis and the presidential election to contend with

Wed, 17 Sep, 2025

Grocery inflation
Wealth tax would allow for a cost-of-living package in next month's budget
Irrespective of how it would be funded, a significant Budget 2026 cost-of-living package needs to happen to help hard-pressed consumers facing soaring prices

Wed, 17 Sep, 2025

An old miniature man and woman standing on a pile of coins.
Ireland can lead EU on equality — but first we must get our own legislation in order
Ireland's EU presidency will be a chance to show leadership in terms of tolerance and fairness, writes Liam Herrick

Mon, 15 Sep, 2025

Electric bill charges paper
Customers face massive spike in bills as Bord Gåis and Pinergy hike electricity prices 
Public facing further €200 being added to energy bills with numbers in arrears already at a 'historical' high

Fri, 12 Sep, 2025

Construction of new homes at Ebbsfleet Garden City in Kent.
CiarĂĄn Casey: Lack of vision has wasted Ireland's unplanned tax windfall
The pageantry of Budget Day means that politicians will aim to avoid landmines, then go back to business as usual, writes CiarĂĄn Casey

Fri, 12 Sep, 2025

Mother and son looking out of window
Systemic barriers are keeping families in poverty, summit hears
Group representing single-parent families tells Child Poverty and Well-being Summit we need the political will to address child poverty and deprivation

Thu, 11 Sep, 2025

Food prices
Food inflation at highest level in two years, CSO reveals
The CSO said consumer prices rose by 2% in the year to August, compared to an annual reading of 1.7% a month earlier

Thu, 11 Sep, 2025

RTB warns of ‘significant concern’ as average rents for new tenancies up 5.5%
RTB warns of ‘significant concern’ as average rents for new tenancies up 5.5%
RTB warns of significant rent hikes outside Dublin, as terminations rise and corporate landlords expand their share of the market

Thu, 11 Sep, 2025

Calculating energy efficiency and energy bill papers
Electric Ireland to cut gas prices by 4%, holding electricity prices steady for winter
Electric Ireland says its fourth gas price cut since 2023 will save households €57, while electricity prices remain unchanged

Wed, 10 Sep, 2025

travel background
As three in five under-25s consider leaving the country, we must act to help young people
Young people's needs are continually neglected even though they are disproportionately impacted by the housing crisis, writes Kathryn Walsh

Wed, 10 Sep, 2025

Energia announces 10.9% electricity price hike as households warned of ‘new normal’ for bills
Energia announces 10.9% electricity price hike as households warned of ‘new normal’ for bills
Households face steep winter energy hikes as Energia confirms price rises, while Government insists support must be permanent, not once-off

Wed, 10 Sep, 2025

Electric bill charges paper
Energia confirms double-digit October electricity price rise
Energia says higher electricity bills are 'unavoidable' as system operator and network charges climb, with no change to gas prices

Tue, 09 Sep, 2025

Sad boy standing alone in the hallway
Housing costs drag 20% of Irish children into poverty, ESRI research shows
The ESRI shows that child poverty levels are currently on a par with the years following the 2008 financial crash when the skyrocketing cost of housing is factored in

Tue, 09 Sep, 2025

Sinn FĂ©in won't impose whip as they leave decision on presidential candidate until later this month
Sinn FĂ©in won't impose whip as they leave decision on presidential candidate until later this month
The party does not intend to state whether it will run a candidate or back a party outsider until later this month, which Mary Lou McDonald said is 'plenty of time'

Mon, 08 Sep, 2025

Colorful assortment of Quality Street chocolate wrapped in metallic foil, delicious candy produced and sold by Nestle company
Shrinkflation bites as boxes of Quality Street and Celebrations lose weight
Toblerone and Chocolate Orange also smaller this year after poor cocoa harvests in Africa raise cost of raw materials

Mon, 08 Sep, 2025

A pensioner adjusting the temperature control on his combi boiler. Redcar, UK. 26/5/2021. Photograph: Stuart Boulton.
Energy regulator warns of ‘historic’ arrears as electricity credits end and prices climb
Nearly half a million households are already behind on bills, with regulator warning arrears will worsen as government credits end

Tue, 02 Sep, 2025

Close-up boy studying at home with tablet and doing school homework. Distance learning online education or stay at home concept.
Charity warns of 'digital divide' as parents unable to afford school devices for children
School reliance on costly digital devices is undermining the benefits of the free books scheme, the Society of St Vincent de Paul warns

Mon, 01 Sep, 2025

New car production
CSO retail index see strong growth in July boosted by motor sales 
However retail sales in some sectors have been falling including larger-than-expected 3.5% declines in categories including newspapers, books, and department stores

Thu, 28 Aug, 2025

Driver Delivering Online Grocery Order
Donal Hickey: Food waste is a big problem for our pockets and for the planet
When food is wasted, all the resources used in bringing food to our tables are wasted too. Reducing your food waste is a key action you can take to help the environment and save money too

Thu, 28 Aug, 2025

Cost of electricity: halogen bulb and twenty Euro notes
A perfect storm: Rising energy, health insurance and food bills pile pressure on Irish families
Electricity bills will rise by €29 a year while health insurance premiums jump 3%, compounding grocery and inflation pressures

Wed, 27 Aug, 2025

27/5/2010. Government to sell VHI
VHI becomes the latest health insurer to announce price hike
VHI will increase health insurance premiums by 3% from October 2025, following similar hikes by Laya and Irish Life

Tue, 26 Aug, 2025

young mum queries a bill on the phone .
Consumer sentiment improves marginally in August but cost-of-living concerns rise 
Irish League of Credit Unions index shows consumer sentiment index reached 61.1 during August, up from the 59.1 figure reported for July

Tue, 26 Aug, 2025

Cork among most expensive places in country to go to college, study finds
Cork among most expensive places in country to go to college, study finds
Letterkenny, Sligo, and Dundalk are the cheapest towns to go to college

Tue, 19 Aug, 2025

Paul Hosford: What will it take to put childcare front and centre in the national conversation?
Paul Hosford: What will it take to put childcare front and centre in the national conversation?
For 20% of families, fees have not only not gone down, they have gone up in the months following an election in which the prohibitive cost of childcare was a key factor

Sat, 16 Aug, 2025

Budget supports for life sciences firms hit by US tariffs a 'priority', says finance minister
Budget supports for life sciences firms hit by US tariffs a 'priority', says finance minister
Paschal Donohoe once again reiterated that there will be no cost-of-living package in October's Budget

Wed, 13 Aug, 2025

'Voluntary' contributions, digital devices and other costs make education anything but free
'Voluntary' contributions, digital devices and other costs make education anything but free
If Ireland is to be a country where every child can achieve their right to education, we must ensure that education is not only free in name, but free in practice, writes Niamh Dalziel of the Society of Saint Vincent De Paul

Fri, 08 Aug, 2025

Unrecognizable supermarket aisle as background
No evidence of price gouging in supermarkets, says consumer watchdog 
It comes as households are still feeling the pinch to a much greater extent at the grocery tills, as new figures showed the cost of food is still rising at almost three times the rate of general inflation

Thu, 07 Aug, 2025

5/12/2012 Budget Day
Over €157m in welfare overpayments identified last year
Inspectors conducted some 85,000 investigations across all welfare schemes with a further 15,700 probes conducted into suspected fraud

Wed, 06 Aug, 2025

'I will go into debt until March': Parents reveal what they do to afford school costs
'I will go into debt until March': Parents reveal what they do to afford school costs
The annual Back to School survey for children’s charity Barnardos found that more than half of parents are worried about how they’ll meet the costs this year

Wed, 06 Aug, 2025

Cork Crime: Soaring prices drive a surge in the theft of meat 
Cork Crime: Soaring prices drive a surge in the theft of meat 
Shoplifters are stealing expensive cuts of prime steaks and legs of lamb for sale on the black market

Mon, 04 Aug, 2025

Cost of electricity: halogen bulb and twenty Euro notes
Irish consumers to see lower electricity bills as levy to fund renewable energy to fall 38%
PSO levy for domestic consumers to fall from almost €39 currently to €24 from October

Fri, 01 Aug, 2025

Alcohol Drinking - Stock
Reducing Vat rate a blunt and costly policy instrument for hospitality 
The sector was subject to the lower Vat rate of 9%  from 2011 to 2018, and again from late 2020 to mid-2023 at an estimated cost of €3.6bn

Fri, 01 Aug, 2025

Chris Heinhold: Would a reduced Vat rate have saved my restaurant? Probably not
Chris Heinhold: Would a reduced Vat rate have saved my restaurant? Probably not
For us, like many small businesses that are owner-operated and facing spiralling costs and unsustainable debt, no one solution could have saved us from closure

Fri, 01 Aug, 2025

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Mick Clifford
Mick Clifford

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