San Diego pharmaceutical company Sangart has given the town of Carrigtwohill a significant boost with the announcement of 250 jobs to be created at the company’s new site in east Cork. Its original plans called for the hiring of 120 staff at the plant but Sangart has revised upwards its plan and doubled the number [...]

Latest data from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) shows a higher level of exports than was originally forecasted for the month of June. The trade surplus for June, after seasonal adjustment, was €4.3 billion. Exports came in at just under €8 billion while imports registered at €3.82 billion at the end of the month. Exports [...]

By saving our banks, we are crippling families and small businesses, according to a report published by the ERSI yesterday. The decision made by the European Commission to allow EU member states to save their banks has meant that the higher cost of borrowing that the bank must pay, is being passed on to local [...]

Across Ireland this morning, students received their first – round CAO offers, which show marked changes in what courses are being chosen. The points for areas such as IT, engineering and science have risen dramatically, in line with students choosing courses to reflect their best chance of employment on completion of their studies. Two of [...]

German Chancellor Angela Merkel once again rejected calls for the issue of Eurobonds as a way of managing European debt. “Eurobonds are exactly the wrong answer to the current crisis,” German Chancellor Angela Merkel stated yesterday. “They lead us to a debt union and not to a stability union.” Germany is against the idea of [...]

Many thanks to all members who entered the competition for tickets to see Ireland V France.   The draw took place in the QBA offices on Friday and the winner was Tim Gunning, Reactive Properties. Congratulations Tim, we hope you enjoyed the match.   Stay tuned to our website and mailings for further competitions in [...]

We live in a society that is dependent on and obsessed with cash. Yet, even though we are currently in a recession that came from blind faith in one particular investment, property, we don’t seem to have learned from our mistakes, as we now have put all our faith in cash, mainly through fear. It [...]

US Ambassador to Ireland, Dan Rooney, has put it as plainly as he can: Ireland must not budge on its 12.5% corporation tax rate or it faces losing out on contracts with big American companies. Mr. Rooney, who is touring Ireland at the moment, has stated that US corporations are monitoring the euro-zone crisis very [...]

Irish consumers are wondering if it’s safe to come out of hiding! After a decade of decadence, paying exorbitant prices for relatively ordinary goods and services, the Irish have bunkered down and stashed every bit of cash that the government have left them with. And their reactions are perfectly understandable! Many of them were ripped [...]

France and Germany have fired a fresh salvo on Ireland’s corporate tax rate, after a letter from French president, Nicolas Sarkozy, based on talks with his German counterpart, Angela Merkel, called for European tax co-ordination. The letter, sent to EU President, Herman van Rompuy, followed up preliminary talks held on Tuesday regarding Europe-wide tax harmonisation [...]