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RTÉ News
5 days ago
- Business
- RTÉ News
Are you being ripped off by the 'loyalty penalty'?
Analysis: From banks to insurance, companies punish loyal consumers with higher prices, while new customers are rewarded with better deals There's growing concern that many of us are being quietly overcharged by service providers. Consumers are urged to check their contracts and avoid overpaying, especially when better deals may be just a click away. In a market economy, we benefit from competition. We enjoy choice, innovation and, most of all, paying less. Price matters. But competition doesn't work unless we, as consumers, play our part. It takes two to tango. Without active engagement from consumers, the benefits of competition stall. We're used to shopping around when buying goods, but the economy has shifted. Many services now run on a subscription model. You sign up once and continue paying indefinitely. That's where the so-called 'loyalty penalty' creeps in. Companies quietly raise prices or reduce service quality - or, in the case of goods, shrink product sizes (have you heard of shrinkflation?) - relying on the assumption that we're not reviewing our contracts or comparing alternatives. It's easier than ever to be taken for granted—or taken for a ride. From RTÉ Radio 1's Today With Claire Byrne, just how worthwhile are loyalty cards? The loyalty penalty is both costly and unfair. Those who stay loyal are often punished with higher prices, while new customers are rewarded with better deals. That's upside-down logic. In other walks of life, loyalty is valued. In many markets, it's penalised. A well-known example is car insurance. Letting a policy auto-renew without shopping around usually means overpaying. The same applies to mobile phone plans. If your contract includes paying off a handset, but you don't renegotiate once the term ends, you'll keep paying the same high price—even though your phone is already paid off. Another important example is health insurance. Recent research shows that consumers in Ireland have been facing very steep price increases. Effectively, if they stayed with their providers— they were paying a loyalty penalty. From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, there are significant savings to be made on mortgage switching but is it worthwhile? In a cost-of-living crisis, every euro counts. Yet many of us still pay hundreds more each year than we need to. Making time to review your recurring bills might be one of the simplest ways to ease household pressure. Market regulators like the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) can do their bit by removing barriers and making switching easier, but they can't force us to act. If we accept poor deals or bad service, competition loses its power. Fortunately, tools for switching are improving. In the UK, the Competition and Markets Authority (CMA)'s Open Banking reforms means switching current accounts can now be done swiftly without any hassle. All your payments and standing orders move automatically. Even transfers to your old account get redirected. I know, I've used it! In effect, UK banks are now offering over £150 to new customers, yet fewer than 3% of UK adults make the switch each year. From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, what's the best current account for you? In Ireland, bank switching is not that straightforward, but it can be done. However, new research shows that over 60% of Irish customers have stayed with their main bank for over seven years. Inertia still wins. Of course, not everyone finds it easy to switch. Some people feel overwhelmed by digital tools or are unsure where to start. That's why making comparison websites more user-friendly and support more accessible matters. Ensuring all consumers can benefit from competition should be part of the policy agenda. We need to change that. We need to vote with our wallets. Think about your recurring expenses such as health, car and travel insurance; mobile and broadband contracts; bank services (both current account and mortgages; energy suppliers; streaming services (Netflix, Amazon Prime, Spotify) and gym subscriptions. Now ask: are you getting a good deal? From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, are more Irish consumers looking to switch banks? What to do? Take action. Use free comparison tools to check your current deals and see what else is out there. Start with visiting the Money Tools pages of the CCPC. There, you'll find pages dedicated to comparisons of different service, from bank accounts to credit cards. Consider a website like Power to Switch for energy comparison. Both and offer useful comparisons across broadband, mobile services, insurance products and more. (I have no connection with these sites and this isn't an endorsement, just a suggestion.) For competition to work, consumers must take an active role. We cannot afford to be passive. If we fail to challenge rising prices or deteriorating service, we weaken the very forces that should be working in our favour. Markets respond to signals, and consumer behaviour is one of the most powerful signals there is. The rewards for engaging are real: better prices, improved quality, and fairer treatment. In short, when we act, competition delivers. Final tip: Get empowered, go shopping and shop around. If consumers start switching more often, businesses will need to treat their customers better to keep them. So next time your policy auto-renews or your bill creeps up, pause and take control. A better deal might be just a few clicks away.
RTÉ News
19-05-2025
- Climate
- RTÉ News
How Irish classrooms can deal with warmer weather and higher temperatures
Analysis: Parents, educators and policymakers must treat classroom heat not as a seasonal inconvenience, but as a pressing public health issue Ireland is known for its mild and wet summers, but classrooms across the country are experiencing something different this May. The current sustained spell of warmth and dryness is anything but typical. Temperatures are regularly reaching and surpassing 17°C, well above the long-term May average temperature of 10.5 °C. At the same time, we have been having weather since March that is warmer and drier than usual and the lower rainfall inhibits natural cooling. This unseasonal warmth is part of a longer-term trend. Last May was Ireland's warmest on record with an average temperature of 13.08 °C. This is testing schools built for a cooler climate. For children, whose bodies cannot regulate heat as efficiently as adults, such conditions are not just uncomfortable, but they can become a health risk. From RTÉ Radio 1's Today With Claire Byrne, should more schools consider outdoor classrooms? Why heat hits children harder Children face unique vulnerabilities in overheated classrooms. Their developing thermoregulatory system and higher surface-area-to-body-mass ratio make them prone to dehydration and heat stress, even at moderate temperatures. Classrooms are much more densely occupied than, say, an office space, which means they trap more heat. Prolonged exposure to warm conditions can lead to nausea, headaches and dizziness. Poor ventilation in classrooms, which can be a reason for warmer classroom temperatures, also worsens respiratory issues that a child may have. In addition to health and discomfort risks, there is also the matter of a suitable learning space. A summary of research evidence shows that when classroom temperatures rise from 20 to 30 °C, children's performance in learning related tasks decline by about 2% for every degree Celsius. From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, how extreme heat affects the brain A climate shift our schools were not built for Met Éireann's data paints a stark picture of changing norms. This May, forecasts predict averages could reach 14.9° C. The warmer temperature is also being accompanied by longer warm spells, meaning buildings and surroundings do not get a chance to cool down, further enhancing the risk for students. Irish schools are built for cold winters, so most do not have mechanical cooling systems. Like many schools in the EU, they rely on natural ventilation. With the warming climate, the effectiveness of natural ventilation is impacted. Retrofitted insulation, intended to combat winter cold, traps summer heat as well. With the school years ending in June, the months of May and June can be especially challenging. How schools can adapt In the short term, schools can take low-cost steps to mitigate risks. Opening windows overnight to flush out heat can be useful. Using cross ventilation – opening doors and windows – during cooler mornings is also effective. Installing temporary window reflectors (like cardboard coated in foil) can reduce the incoming solar radiation, reducing daytime temperatures. Using indoor air quality monitors to keep track of indoor temperature in real time can help us plan and minimize heat exposure risks. From RTÉ Radio 1's Brendan O'Connor Show, dealing with classroom temperatures Scheduling outdoor activities before 11am or after 3pm avoids peak heat and UV exposure. Dehydration is a significant risk for children, as they may not recognize the need to drink water regularly, especially in dry weather, so providing chilled water stations is a useful measure. Architectural changes are critical for futureproofing the classrooms. External shades and high-performance glazing can cut down solar heat gains. Replacing asphalt playgrounds with grass or cool pavements helps lower surface temperatures. These spaces are safer for outdoor breaks taken by the children. What parents can do Parents can help by sending children to school with insulated water bottles and frozen fruit, and by choosing light-coloured, loose-fitting uniforms made from breathable fabrics. Schools can also provide more flexibility in uniform requirements. Another important aspect is supporting school boards' efforts to secure funding for classroom retrofits. By integrating Met Éireann's climate projections into school design, policymakers can future-proof classrooms against rising temperatures To prepare for future scenarios, schools and parents can co-create heat action plans and gradually adopt measures. Designated staff and parents can check on progress and ensure that measures are maintained. Some actions can be conducted with children's cooperation as STEM-related activities, helping them understand climate change and building design. Awareness activities, conducted with researchers, can benefit both children and teachers. A need for systemic change Ireland's climate is changing, and so must its classroom infrastructure. While individual actions help, systemic solutions are urgent. Met Éireann's projections indicate that May temperatures could rise by an additional 1.5°C by the middle of this century (2041–2060), making passive cooling systems and revised building codes essential. While immediate measures like hydration and schedule changes can mitigate risks, systemic investment in resilient classroom infrastructure is important. By integrating Met Éireann's climate projections into school design standards, policymakers can move further to future-proof classrooms against escalating temperatures. Parents, educators and policymakers must treat classroom heat not as a seasonal inconvenience, but as a pressing public health issue. The goal is to adapt classroom design so that they can be safe havens for learning, no matter what the weather brings.
Extra.ie
12-05-2025
- Business
- Extra.ie
Former housing minister didn't consult officials on 40k forecast
Former Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien did not consult with his officials prior to telling coalition leaders 40,000 new homes would be built in 2024. This is despite officials advising him days earlier that the 'most accurate' forecaster was predicting between 30,000 and 33,000 new homes. previously revealed that Mr O'Brien wrote to the three then-coalition leaders – Taoiseach Micheál Martin, Tánaiste Simon Harris and Green Party leader Roderic O'Gorman – on August 21 last year, stating he expected delivery close to 40,000. Former Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien. Pic: Sasko Lazarov/ 'Estimates from independent analysts show we are on track to exceed our housing targets for 2024, and I estimate we will approach 40,000 units in 2024,' Mr O'Brien wrote. The letter was the basis for the Government's election promise that 40,000 new homes would be built last year. However, figures from the Central Statistics Office published in January showed that just 30,330 new homes were built. In response to a Freedom of Information request, the Department of Housing said it had 'no records' of any correspondence between Mr O'Brien and his senior officials prior to the minister penning the letter. The records also show there were no draft versions of the letter. Former Minister for Housing Darragh O'Brien. Pic: Niall Carson/PA Wire Asked if there was any verbal discussion about the letter, a spokesman for the department confirmed that officials had no input into it. He added: 'The minister's correspondence with the coalition leaders in August reflected his expectation of delivery in 2024. 'Department officials did not advise or engage with the minister on the matter of this correspondence.' Mr O'Brien's officials advised him days before he wrote the letter to coalition leaders that a firm that had been the most accurate at predicting housing output had forecast that between 30,000 and 33,000 homes would be complete, The Irish Times previously reported. Officials had compiled a list of ten completion forecasts by independent experts. There were three references to 40,000, but the average of the predictions amounted to 36,200. BNP Paribas. Pic: Getty Images Housing sales website projected between 35,000 and 40,000, while estate agents Hooke & MacDonald and Deutsche Numis, the research arm of Deutsche Bank, both predicted 40,000. However, Mr O'Brien's officials drew attention to the forecast of French bank BNP Paribas, which had forecast that between 30,000 and 33,000 new homes would be built last year. 'Notably, BNP Paribas forecasts have been the most accurate in recent years, and they suggest reaching the target this year will be challenging,' they wrote. In February, Mr Harris told RTÉ's Today With Claire Byrne that the figure should not have been provided to him and the other coalition leaders at the time. The Fine Gael leader refuted claims he and his Government colleagues 'misled the public' as he said he did not know the information he received in 'good faith' was inaccurate. Simon Harris. Pic: Pool Via Asked if the figure should have been provided, Mr Harris agreed, 'they should have given the figure'. Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin was not surprised Mr O'Brien acted alone in telling the leaders 40,000 homes would be built, but said it shouldn't have been repeated during the election. 'I am not at all surprised by the revelation as Darragh O'Brien's time as Minister for Housing was characterised by a slipshod and dishonest approach to data designed more to mislead than to inform,' he said. 'However, Micheál Martin, Simon Harris, Paschal Donohoe and Jack Chambers continued to repeat the minister's 40,000 homes lie long after their own advisers and CSO data made clear it wasn't possible. 'So Darragh O'Brien may have been guilty of the original sin, but the sin was repeated ad nauseam right up to polling day.' Pic: Shutterstock Apart from failing on the overall delivery aims, the Government also missed its targets for social and affordable housing. A total of 9,300 new-build social homes were targeted under the Government's Housing For All plan. These are homes directly built by local authorities or approved housing bodies (AHBs). However, the figures show that just 7,871 were delivered, a shortfall of 1,429 (15%). This is lower than in 2023, when 8,110 new-build social homes were built. This means that the government has missed its target for the delivery of new-build social homes in 2020, 2022, 2023, and 2024. The Government had set a target of 2,130 homes to be leased for social housing, but delivered just 1,223, a 43% shortfall. When the figures were published, current Housing Minister James Browne included homes that have not yet been built or acquired by the State in affordable housing. Mr Browne claimed '7,126 affordable housing options were delivered' in 2024, 726 ahead of the target. An analysis of the figures shows this includes 2,851 homes delivered under the Government's First Home Scheme. However, a footnote in the data states that the figures include 'approvals' to the scheme by the end of 2024 and not drawdowns, purchases or actual new builds under the scheme. The one area where the Government hit its target was in relation to social acquisition, with 1,501 homes achieved, one ahead of the target. These are existing homes bought by local authorities or AHBs. Latest homelessness figures published show there were 15,418 people living in emergency accommodation in Ireland, including 4,653 children, at the end of March. Mr Browne is expected to unveil his own plan for solving the housing crisis in July.
Extra.ie
01-05-2025
- Business
- Extra.ie
Nama chief gets housing tsar or faces salary cut
The outgoing boss of Nama, Brendan McDonagh, is due to take a pay cut if he is not appointed as the Government's new housing tsar, can reveal. Minister for Housing James Brown described Mr McDonagh as his 'preferred candidate' to take up the role as head of the Housing Activation Office on Tuesday. Two Sunday newspapers reported at the weekend that Mr McDonagh is set to retain his €433,000 salary when he takes up the post. However, has established that this salary is time-limited to Mr McDonagh's tenure at Nama, which is being dissolved at the end of this year. Brendan McDonagh. Pic: Leah Farrell/ A spokeswoman for the Department of Finance said Mr McDonagh is currently seconded from the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) and is due to return to that role when Nama is wound down. 'Nama will be dissolved by the end of 2025, subject to the enactment of required legislation currently being drafted,' she said. 'The current CEO of Nama is an employee of the NTMA, assigned to Nama, and until the dissolution of Nama, the agency remains focused on completing its phased and orderly wind-down and fulfilling its mandate.' Brendan McDonagh. Pic: Sam Boal/ In 2009, Mr McDonagh earned a salary of €220,000 for his role as Director of Finance at the NTMA, but received an even bigger salary package to head up the newly established Nama in a time of national crisis. While the exact figure of Mr McDonagh's salary if he returns to the NTMA is not known, it will have increased incrementally throughout his absence but will still be significantly lower than his current pay of €433,000 plus benefits. The pay packet dwarfs that of the Taoiseach (€248,000) and Graham Doyle (€255,000), the secretary general of the Department of Housing, who Mr McDonagh would be working under. On Monday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin said that he 'understands concerns' about the package for Mr McDonagh. Pic: Gareth Chaney/Collins Photos Despite Minister Browne declaring him as his 'preferred candidate' on the RTÉ News at One on Tuesday, both a spokesman for the Taoiseach and Tánaiste, Simon Harris, could not say he was their preferred candidate just hours later. The Cabinet committee on housing will meet today, and Mr Browne will seek approval from the Coalition leaders and other senior ministers to ratify Mr McDonagh's selection. Sinn Féin housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin criticised the creation of the role, saying it will have 'no actual power'. Pic: Sam Boal/Collins Photos Speaking on RTÉ's Today With Claire Byrne, Mr Ó Broin said that 'it will only work if it has powers' and that 'there are already too many groups of civil servants getting in the way [of housing delivery]'. Mr Ó Broin said that the public will be 'scratching their heads' wondering why someone would be appointed at almost twice the salary of the Taoiseach 'to a role that is underneath them with no statutory underpinnings, no power and no clarity [on] what it is meant to do'. Mr Browne has so far not outlined what powers, if any, the new tsar would have. The new office will have a budget of close to €1billionn for the next five years in a bid to unlock stalled housing projects. The Cabinet yesterday approved the creation of the new office, which will be comprised of eight to 11 experts tasked with having a 'laser focus' on removing barriers to housing on specific sites. The unit is proposed to support public infrastructure planning for the delivery of sustainable communities on brownfield and greenfield sites. It will be supported by a housing activation delivery group, which will be chaired by Mr Brown
The Journal
30-04-2025
- Climate
- The Journal
'Record-breaking temperatures' could be on the cards - and it's already 28 degrees in Waterford
TODAY COULD SEE 'record-breaking' temperatures for April as a hot spell of weather sweeps the country for a third consecutive day. It had been forecast that we would experience a week-long stretch of temperatures into the mid-20s this week and into next weekend, and that appears to be the reality so far. Met Éireann said today will be hot and sunny, possibly reaching highs of 25 degrees in some areas nationally, though averaging out at between 19 and 24. Aoife Keeley, meteorologist at the national forecaster, appeared on Today With Claire Byrne on RTÉ this morning where she spoke of the possibility of the country witnessing 'record-breaking' temperatures today. 'There is a chance there,' she said. 'We could see temperatures getting up to or even above 25 degrees. 'If we're talking about April records, the highest temperature that was ever recorded in April was recorded in County Donegal in 1984 and that was 25.8 degrees. But the other thing is that's the only time that a temperature above 25 degrees was ever recorded in Ireland in April.' She added: 'It is likely that we're going to see one of the warmest April days on record today.' Advertisement Met Éireann's Weather Observations Website map showing national midday temperatures today. Observations at midday indicate that temperatures are in the low-to-mid-20s in various parts of the country, predominantly in the west and west midlands areas. There have been some outliers recorded too, with a weather station in Raheen, Co Waterford recording 28 degrees around 12pm according to Met Éireann, which also says nearby Ballintober registered 27 degrees at the same time. However, Keeley warned against complacency as she said that rain may arise from the sudden spike in April temperatures. 'Especially on a day like today, where you do have these warm temperatures, that heat can act as fuel for these quite sudden heavy showers and and possibly even some thunderstorms. 'So it's going to be a lovely sunny day for a lot of the day, but then once the heat builds up in the afternoon, those showers could break out.' Keeley also stated that weather for the near May bank holiday weekend is going to remain good, but just not as warm as we are having it now. 'Generally, a lot of dry weather on the cards, right through the bank holiday. The only thing is things are going to feel a little bit cooler.' She continued: 'By Friday, all that warmer air will have gone, so temperatures will fall back to about the mid-to-high teens for Friday and the bank holiday weekend, it's still actually probably going to be warmer than normal for many parts of the country, and with the benefit of of the sunshine, it's going to feel quite warm, still, just not as warm as it will feel today.' 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
