
Government scrambling to avoid recession as fund to help businesses hardest hit by US trade war established
The Government is planning to do 'everything it possibly can' to avoid a recession, as the Sunday Independent can reveal details of a new fund for those Irish businesses worst affected by US tariffs.
With US president Donald Trump pushing to impose a 15pc minimum tariff rate on all EU goods, the Government is now bracing for 'quite stark' impacts on the Irish economy — even if the new rate is lower than the 'devastating' 30pc tariffs Trump previously floated.

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Irish Examiner
10 minutes ago
- Irish Examiner
Trade-in market for phones up 76% and more than doubles in Cork, says Vodafone
The number of consumers trading in their old phones when buying a new handset has grown 76%, and more than doubled in Cork, according to Vodafone. One in three customers buying a new handset at the firm's stores during the last week of June traded in their old device, demonstrating a growing shift in sustainable tech ownership. Last month, the EU introduced new ecodesign and energy labelling rules for smartphones and tablets. The European Commission said the rules are expected to save 2.2 TWh of electricity consumed while using these devices by 2030, and consumers are projected to save €20bn expenses in 2030. The new rules will also help to optimise the use of critical raw materials like gold and magnesium. The number of trade-ins more than doubled across Vodafone's Cork stores last month, up 103%. Consumers received an average of €150 for their old device. Devices traded in are usually recycled, refurbished, or reused. Vodafone Ireland has 2.3 million customers in Ireland. Vodafone Ireland said trade-ins have saved customers €8m. 'Trade in plays a critical role in driving Vodafone Ireland's commitment to protecting the planet, as well as offering affordability for our customers. With one in every three customers across our retail stores trading in a handset, we're delivering on our ambition to tackle e-waste and supporting the circular economy in Ireland,' said Vodafone Ireland chief executive Sabrina Casalta. 'This is a tangible method to deliver change and make a difference for generations to come.' An estimated 7.3m smartphones lie unused in Irish households, while around 346m phones lie unused in Ireland, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Sweden and the Netherlands, with around 112m fit for refurbishment, according to Refurbed's 2024 sustainability report. The Refurbed report said that recovering these handsets could avoid 7.1m tonnes of carbon dioxide, 2.7bn litres of water and 16,800 tonnes of e-waste. Vodafone has 80 retail units in Ireland, and employs 2,000 people across its stores and Dublin headquarters.


RTÉ News
10 minutes ago
- RTÉ News
New age verification rules for online platforms in place
New online safety rules come into force from today which will require video-sharing platforms to have effective age verification systems in place. Social media sites such as Instagram, Facebook, TikTok and X will be legally obliged to protect users from harmful content under the Online Safety Code. Companies will face fines for breaches of up to €20 million or 10% of a platform's annual turnover, whichever is greater. From today, the rules cover content such as cyberbullying, the promotion of self-harm, suicide, eating disorders or dangerous challenges, as well as pornography and violence. Platforms must also have age assurance systems and parental controls in place. The media regulator Coimisiún na Meán formally adopted the Online Safety Code in October 2024, but platforms were given nine months before the more detailed provisions of the code came into force to allow time for any IT changes that may have been needed. Age verification Under the rules, platforms hosting pornographic or violent material must ensure such content is not accessible without robust age checks. The code does not mandate specific technology but states that age assurance measures based solely on self-declaration by users, are not considered to be effective. The Online Safety Commissioner Niamh Hodnett has previously said that age verification measures must be "robust, privacy-respecting, and holding data for no longer than it is necessary". Examples of age checks might include facial recognition, cognitive skills test or uploading IDs such as passports or driving licenses. Privacy campaigners have expressed concerns about the storage of sensitive personal information used for age verification. Video-sharing platforms The Online Safety Code applies to video-sharing platforms that have their EU headquarters in Ireland. In December 2023, Coimisiún na Meán designated ten platforms that would be covered. They were Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, Udemy, TikTok, LinkedIn, X, Pinterest, Tumblr and Reddit. Tumblr and Reddit both took unsuccessful High Court actions against Coimisiún na Meán, arguing that they should not be designated as video-sharing platforms. In May, Coimisiún na Meán de-designated Reddit as a platform under its remit, stating that the company's service to users in the EU is now provided by a Dutch entity. Although Snapchat is incredibly popular among young people, it is not included on the list of designated platforms. This is because it does not have its EU headquarters in Ireland. Asked about regulating Snapchat, Coimisiún na Meán has said it will be working closely with its regulatory counterparts in other EU member states to hold platforms to account for how they keep their users safe. Recommender systems not covered Recommender systems are algorithms that determine what social media users see based on personal data such as search history, past purchases, age and location. Campaign groups and researchers have warned that these algorithms can be "toxic" and often result in inappropriate content appearing in users' feeds, promoting things like hate, extremism, eating disorders and self-harm. These algorithms are not covered by the Online Safety Code. Coimisiún na Meán has said that while it recognises that recommender systems can have harmful impacts on users, especially children, it will be best able to tackle the potential dangers of these systems through its implementation of the EU's set of online safety rules, the Digital Services Act (DSA). The Online Safety Code will run alongside the DSA and form part of Ireland's overall internet safety framework. Ireland's code does not specifically cover disinformation, but Coimisiún na Meán has said that when disinformation crosses the threshold of being illegal content covered by the DSA, or regulated content under the code, platforms must prevent it being uploaded or shared.


RTÉ News
3 hours ago
- RTÉ News
Russia open to peace but must 'achieve goals' in Ukraine
Russia is open to peace with Ukraine but achieving "our goals" remains a priority, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov has said. Mr Peskov and other Russian officials have repeatedly rejected accusations from Kyiv and its western partners of stalling peace talks. Meanwhile, Moscow continues to intensify its long-range attacks on Ukrainian cities, with more drones launched in a single night than during some entire months in 2024, and analysts say the barrages are likely to escalate. Mr Peskov told state TV reporter Pavel Zarubin: "(Russian) President (Vladimir) Putin has repeatedly spoken of his desire to bring the Ukrainian settlement to a peaceful conclusion as soon as possible. "This is a long process, it requires effort, and it is not easy. "The main thing for us is to achieve our goals. Our goals are clear." Kremlin on peace conditions The Kremlin has insisted any peace deal should see Ukraine withdraw from the four regions that Russia illegally annexed in September 2022 but never fully captured. It also wants Ukraine to renounce its bid to join NATO and accept strict limits on its armed forces, demands Kyiv and its Western allies have rejected. In his nightly address yesterday, Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky said his officials had proposed a new round of peace talks this week. Russian state media reported today that no date had yet been set for the negotiations but that Istanbul would likely remain the host city. Mr Trump threatened Russia on 14 July with steep tariffs and announced a rejuvenated pipeline for US weapons to reach Ukraine, hardening his stance towards Moscow after months of frustration following unsuccessful negotiations aimed at ending the war. Previous negotiations in Istanbul The direct Russia-Ukraine negotiations in Istanbul resulted in several rounds of prisoner exchanges, but little else. Mr Trump said he would implement "severe tariffs" unless a peace deal is reached within 50 days. He provided few details on how they would be implemented, but suggested they would target Russia's trading partners in an effort to isolate Moscow in the global economy. In addition, Mr Trump said European allies would buy "billions and billions" of dollars of US military equipment to be transferred to Ukraine, replenishing the besieged country's supplies of weapons. Included in the plan are Patriot air defence systems, a top priority for Ukraine as it fends off Russian drones and missiles. Russian drones shot down overnight Elsewhere, Ukraine's air force said it shot down 18 of 57 Shahed-type and decoy drones launched by Russia overnight, with seven more disappearing from radar. Two women were injured in Zaporizhzhia, a southern Ukrainian region partly occupied by Russia, when a drone struck their house, according to the regional military administration. Two more civilians were injured in Izium, north-eastern Ukraine, after a drone hit a residential building, local Ukrainian officials said. Later, drones struck a leafy square in the centre of Sumy, wounding a woman and her seven-year-old son, officials said. The strike also damaged a power line, leaving some 100 households without electricity, according to Serhii Krivosheienko of the municipal military administration. Meanwhile, Russia's defence ministry said its forces had shot down 93 Ukrainian drones targeting Russian territory overnight, including at least 15 that appeared to be headed for Moscow. Ten more drones were downed on the approach to the capital today, according to mayor Sergei Sobyanin. He said one drone had struck a residential building in Zelenograd, on the outskirts of Moscow, damaging an apartment but causing no casualties.