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Irish Independent
a day ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Tell UK to end levy on Irish truckers – or there'll be no funding for A5, hauliers say
And the truckers have demanded that the Government here make its financial backing of the key A5 motorway plan in Northern Ireland contingent on the removal of the levy. The hauliers are subject to a reintroduced heavy goods vehicle (HGV) levy in the UK when operating in the North. There is no reciprocal levy on Northern Ireland or UK-based hauliers operating in the Republic. All HGV operators are currently required to pay a £10 levy for any day a truck travels on a main road in the UK, or face fines of up to £300 and the potential impoundment of vehicles. Removing the levy would boost cooperation and integration across the island Northern Ireland's Department of Finance collects the levy from Irish-based operators crossing into the North daily. Between July 2023 and June 2024, an annual total of €39.7m was collected, with an average monthly revenue of €3.3m generated from these levies at the 15 official border crossing points In a briefing document sent to Transport Minister Darragh O'Brien, the hauliers said that they welcomed the Government's support of the A5 upgrade project – an infrastructure development aimed at improving regional and all-island connectivity between Donegal and Monaghan. 'Considering the Irish Government's proposed financial investment in the A5 project, we strongly urge that any such funding be conditional upon the abolition of – or, at a minimum, a formal derogation from the UK HGV levy for Irish-based hauliers transiting through or operating within Northern Ireland,' it said. 'It is inequitable and counterproductive that Irish hauliers are being charged to use infrastructure they are helping to fund.' It added that removing the levy would boost cooperation and integration across the island and 'strengthen North–South economic relationships'.
Irish Independent
3 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Donal Fallon: Why Donald Trump may be a bigger threat to Irish whiskey than a teetotalling 19th-century priest
Industry is in trouble in this country, and resurrecting old brand names is not always the answer Irish whiskey is no stranger to economic turbulence through its history, but recent months have been difficult by any standard. Once the epicentre of Irish distilling, the Liberties area of the capital had witnessed an extraordinary revival in recent years, though the doors of some of these new arrivals have closed, either temporarily or permanently. At the Dublin Liberties Distillery both production and tours have ceased, as the parent company 'assesses market conditions'. More surprising, the powerhouse that is Diageo has ceased production at Roe and Co, housed in a former Guinness building and within sight of the original distillery. Diageo's international portfolio includes names such as Johnnie Walker, Don Julio and Bulleit Bourbon, but Roe and Co is its only Irish-based distillery.
Irish Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Survey reveals that 29pc of large Irish firms were forced to pay a cyber ransom last year
The average ransomware payment among large Irish businesses has risen to €683,000, according to a new survey of 200 Irish-based enterprises.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
'Nightmare for Ireland' - Trump's new tariff threat sparks panic
A US tariff of 30% would 'stop trade as we know it' with the EU, Ireland's foreign affairs minister has said. Simon Harris was echoing comments from the EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic who said on Monday that such a tariff would effectively 'prohibit' trans-Atlantic trade. US President Donald Trump indicated at the weekend that the EU would face a 30% tariff from August 1 if a deal is not struck. The Irish drinks industry has described it as a 'nightmare' scenario and concern has also been expressed on the effect such tariffs could have on US pharma multinationals based in Ireland. Simon Harris, who is also Ireland's deputy premier, said Mr Sefcovic was sharing a 'grim message' but it was 'important to be truthful'. The Tanaiste said a 30% tariff would be 'extraordinary' and urged businesses to prepare for all scenarios, but added that a negotiated agreement was still possible. 'He (Mr Trump) knows as a businessman that tariffs at that level would not just disrupt trade, it would in many ways stop trade as we know it functioning between Europe and the US,' he told Newstalk radio. 'So I do still believe there is a landing zone here for a deal, there is a landing zone for an agreement.' He said that Mr Trump had previously threatened tariffs that did not come into effect. In May, Mr Trump said he was recommending that a 50% tariff rate come into effect on June 1. He added: 'This is a time of huge volatility but, let me be clear, there is a way forward. 'I know from the conversations I've been having with colleagues, I know from my meetings with the US administration there is a deal here to be done, there is a landing zone, the question is if and when the US is up for it.' Mr Harris met the US ambassador to Ireland, Ed Walsh, on Monday, and is to meet Irish-based US pharmaceutical multinationals online on Wednesday. Ireland has consistently called for zero-for-zero tariffs in as many areas as possible, with particular concern about Irish beef, dairy and alcohol exports. The Irish government has also expressed concern at how tariffs could affect pharma multinationals based in Ireland. The US has previously signalled that it intends to target the pharmaceutical industry, which employs about 45,000 people in Ireland. Opposition parties raised concerns that the economic uncertainty would hit families struggling due to the cost of living in October's budget. Labour TD George Lawlor said it was a 'ridiculous situation' that Mr Trump prompts an 'almost weekly change in direction' on trade. He said the uncertainty was creating 'unease' for businesses based in Ireland that export to the US. Labour TD Marie Sherlock said the economic uncertainty caused by the threat of tariffs meant families were facing a 'nightmare' scenario in relation to the budget. She said it looked as though 'pre-election sweeteners', such as a drop in student administrative fees and energy credits, would be withdrawn. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
Irish Daily Mirror
6 days ago
- Business
- Irish Daily Mirror
Irish workers say AI is increasing opportunities and competition in jobs market
Irish workers say artificial intelligence (AI) is both creating opportunities and intensifying competition in the jobs market, according to a corporate survey. The hiring software firm's survey indicated that half of Irish workers fear for their jobs amid economic uncertainty and nearly two in three are struggling to navigate the jobs market – with AI intensifying competition. Hiring company Greenhouse conducted a survey of 2,200 candidates, including 169 Irish-based workers along with workers from the UK and the US. 73 per cent of Irish workers indicated they are using AI when looking for a new job, mainly for interview preparation (42 per cent), analysing job ads (28 per cent) and generating work samples (25 per cent). A further 54 per cent said AI is making job hunting harder by increasing skill standards and intensifying competition, while 41 per cent said it created and helped uncover new opportunities. The survey also indicated there is a lack of clarity on whether AI can be used when applying for jobs, with 82 per cent of workers stating that employers provided little or no guidance on using AI in interviews. A photo taken on January 2, 2025 shows the letters AI for Artificial Intelligence on a laptop screen (R) next to the logo of the Chat AI application on a smartphone screen in Frankfurt am Main, western Germany. (Photo by Kirill KUDRYAVTSEV / AFP) (Photo by KIRILL KUDRYAVTSEV/AFP via Getty Images) Nearly half of Irish job seekers said they feel insecure in their current role, while 42 per cent said the job market is very competitive. Chief executive of Greenhouse, Daniel Chait, said hiring is "stuck in an AI doom loop". "As this technology advances, it makes it easier than ever to apply, flooding the system with noise," he said. "With 25 per cent of Gen Z saying AI has made it harder for them to stand out, candidates entering the market are up against more applications, more automation, and less clarity." The survey also indicated that 49 per cent of Irish job seekers said they had been asked inappropriate or biased questions during job application processes. The most common of these was about health or disability status (21 per cent), parental responsibilities (20 per cent), and age (18 per cent). A further 69 per cent said they had removed older experience from their CVs to try and avoid age-based assumptions, according to the survey. Subscribe to our newsletter for the latest news from the Irish Mirror direct to your inbox: Sign up here.
