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The Journal
17 hours ago
- Business
- The Journal
Housing minister 'not happy' that affordable homes were priced above threshold for state loans
A REVIEW INTO house prices has been completed and decisions will be made 'rapidly' to make sure costs do not price out homeowners from availing of government's local authority home loan scheme, the housing minister has said. His comments come after the Irish Times reported today that the price of affordable homes at a new state-development in Co. Kildare were above the threshold for new homeowners to avail of the mortgage scheme. The Local Authority Home Loan is open to first-time buyers and fresh start applicants who wish to purchase a new or second-hand property or for self-build. It provides up to 90% of the market value of the property. The maximum loan amount is determined by where the property is located. In Kildare, the local authority has limited the loan scheme to properties priced at €360,000 and under. Three-bed homes at the new estate cost €370,000. Asked about the disparity today, Housing Minister James Browne said he was 'not happy' about it. He said a review he commissioned on the issue was delivered to him yesterday. Advertisement He told reporters in Dublin: 'We'll make a decision on those will be made very rapidly, so we can get that review carried out and finished and get limits increased where they need to be increased. 'But, absolutely, that disparity – I'm not happy with that, and I'm going to have that addressed.' Minister James Browne said he was "not happy" about the disparity. Alamy Alamy Homeowners have previously told The Journal that they found the loan scheme 'restrictive' and that the details of the scheme, which have since been amended, were unclear. The minister said he 'wouldn't be surprised' if other new developments were also above the thresholds set for the home loan scheme, which is why, he said, he commissioned that his department review the issue. Browne said that he wanted to make sure that prices are aligned with the schemes available to families seeking to purchase homes. 'I want to try and get them aligned so that we don't have this type of disparity. I know it causes stress for families – I know one particular family that it cased an awful lot of stress for. 'I don't want that situation to happen. The government is spending record funding on delivering housing, on supporting people to get those homes, so that kind of misalignment – I certainly want to see an end of, and intend to being an end to that.' Readers like you are keeping these stories free for everyone... A mix of advertising and supporting contributions helps keep paywalls away from valuable information like this article. Over 5,000 readers like you have already stepped up and support us with a monthly payment or a once-off donation. Learn More Support The Journal
Irish Times
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Irish Times
The Movie Quiz: What is Tom Cruise's highest-grossing film ever?
Book Club Sign up to the Irish Times books newsletter for features, podcasts and more
Tatler Asia
a day ago
- Business
- Tatler Asia
Things you didn't know about Baileys
The name Baileys isn't Irish either According to the Irish Times , Gluckman and Seymour-Davies borrowed the name from Baileys Bistro, a restaurant located beneath their new office in SoHo, London. It just sounded right. Baileys comes in more flavours than you'd expect Above From Dublin to the world: Baileys has won hearts with its variety of flavour twists (photo: Getty Images / Monica Schipper) Beyond the original Irish Cream, the brand has expanded its repertoire to include indulgent favourites like Salted Caramel, Espresso Crème, Chocolate Cherry and Vanilla Cinnamon. Seasonal specials such as Pumpkin Spice keep things fresh, while the vegan-friendly Baileys Almande—made with almond milk—offers a plant-based option. Limited-edition releases such as Strawberries & Cream, Chocolat Luxe and Dulce de Leche (the latter exclusive to Mexico) prove Baileys isn't afraid to experiment. Pure ingredients, proudly sourced Each year, Baileys uses more than 250 million litres of fresh milk sourced directly from Ireland. According to a 2015 report by the Irish government's Merrion Street agency, this milk is collected from over 40,000 cows across 1,500 carefully selected farms. It is then transported to the Baileys facility in Dublin, where it becomes the cream used in the liqueur—a product with a shelf life of up to two years. Above Baileys has come to symbolise indulgence and ease (photo: Instagram / @baileysofficial) At least five men have laid claim to its creation The names most often associated with Baileys' beginnings include David Gluckman, David Dand, Mac Macpherson, Steve Wilson and Tom Jago. Among them, Jago is widely regarded as the most credible source. A pioneer in spirits innovation, he also helped create Johnnie Walker Blue Label and Malibu, and later co-founded The Last Drop Distillers with James Espey. According to Jago, Gluckman and Seymour-Davies were copywriters, Macpherson served as the chemist, Wilson assisted him, and Dand oversaw the project. Together, they experimented with a mix of whiskey, cream, sugar and chocolate, along with a name that would eventually become world-famous. A favourite among women Above Versatile and stylish, Baileys pairs beautifully with a wide range of treats (photo: Instagram / @baileysofficial) With an approachable alcohol content of around 17% and a soft, sweet profile, Baileys holds strong appeal, particularly among women. In 2014, Diageo launched a female-focused campaign titled 'This is for Us,' conceived by an all-female creative team at BBH London. According to Irish Central, the campaign was crafted specifically for the Millennial woman. It isn't just for after dinner In 2019, Baileys debuted a line of coffee creamers (think cold brews in flavours such as Caramel and Irish Coffee) aimed at brightening up your morning ritual. The brand has also ventured into desserts, releasing products like yoghurt and chocolate biscuits for fans wanting a little extra indulgence.
Sunday World
2 days ago
- Entertainment
- Sunday World
Newstalk host Ciara Kelly says she 'regrets' not taking husband's surname after marrying
'I do think that if my husband had had a cooler name, I might have been slightly more tempted.' Newstalk host Ciara Kelly has said she 'regrets' not taking her husband's surname after they got married. 'I do have some regrets about having no name connection to my children,' she explained on this morning's breakfast show. 'Should they have been double-barrelled? I don't know. 'Or should I have given them Kelly as their second name? I don't know is the answer to that,' she continued. Ciara Kelly. Photo: Evan Doherty News in 90 Seconds - May 29th Kelly said if her husband had a 'cooler name' she 'might have been slightly more tempted.' 'I think there is fashion at play here; when I was young and getting married, none of my pals in college took their husbands' names. 'Most of my pals from school who didn't go to college did. 'So, there was different cohorts of people doing different things, and I think that's still true today,' she said. 'I also do think, as someone who didn't take their husband's name and I now have a different name to all four of my children, that I didn't give it enough thought. 'I didn't want to double barrel my name, I always thought that was for gits - that's what I actually thought.' Her co-host Shane Coleman said he would have been 'a little bit disappointed' if his wife had taken his surname. 'I married Ev Conroy, I didn't marry Ev Coleman,' he said. 'We get texts from people saying, 'Oh, it's really difficult travelling', it isn't. 'Or that it's 'really confusing in school', I think people are capable of differentiating. 'There's no issue.' Read more Man (20s) charged after Garda seriously injured by stolen motorbike in Finglas It comes following the publication of an Irish Times opinion piece lamenting whether or not women should change their surname after getting married. According to Pew Research Centre, 79% of women in opposite sex marriages took their husbands' surname after they wed. While just 5% of men in opposite sex marriages took their wives' surname.
Irish Independent
2 days ago
- Business
- Irish Independent
Irish Times-owned Irish Examiner and The Echo newsrooms to merge
The newspapers are owned and operated by the Irish Times, which bought them in 2018. At the time it said that the deal provided opportunities for consolidation, but that the core identity and independence of the news titles would be retained. Tom Fitzpatrick has been editor of the Irish Examiner since 2019. It is understood that he has decided not to apply for the new combined role. In an email to staff today Karen O'Donoghue, managing director of the Irish Examiner and The Echo, said that as part of a three-year change programme, the new position would be publicly advertised on Friday. 'The leadership role is a key pillar of the plan to combine the editorial operations,' she said. 'In creating a single editorial department, we will improve teamwork and our ability to target key audiences, streamline decision making, and grow both digital subscriptions and digital advertising revenues, enable by a cohesive editorial vision across our titles.' Sources familiar with the change programme pointed out that other areas of the two newspapers, apart from editorial, are already merged. The change marks a further consolidation within the Irish newspaper industry, which is dealing with the twin threats of declining print circulation and reduced advertised spend. In 2019, the Evening Echo became a morning newspaper and was rebranded The Echo. Produced for almost 130 years, and synonymous with Cork, it is now printed at the same time as the Irish Examiner. Its website was redesigned at The newspaper was founded as a broadsheet in 1892, and went tabloid in 1991. Two years ago the newspaper got its first female editor, with Grainne McGuinness taking over from Maurice Gubbins. In her role as managing director of the Irish Examiner and The Echo, Ms O'Donoghue reports to the Irish Times group managing director, Deirdre Veldon. Since her appointment in November 2022, Ms Veldon has put a new leadership team and strategy in place in order to return the company to profitability. As well as the two Cork newspapers, the Irish Times group owns a number of regional titles, such as the Waterford News and Star. It has a majority share in the Waterford-based radio station WLR, and last year bought the death notices site causing a controversy last December when it introduced a €100 charge for listings.
