Back-to-school A-Z: Why it costs parents so much and how to spend less
To hard-pressed parents, it can feel as if extra busyness and unnecessary expense are intentionally built into the start of the school year
Cost of Living
Read more articles about the cost of living from your personal finances to the global economy
As Trump poll ratings slide divisions threaten to fracture Republican Party
World View: The party has always been a fractious coalition, but more recently a split has emerged between the libertarians and a putative ‘national conservative’ tendency
Planned increases to fuel excise duty from next month will not go ahead, Government says
Restoration of cuts to be kept under review while geopolitical situation remains uncertain, Minister says
Appeal, wait, go abroad, repeat: what can you do if you don’t get your first CAO choice?
Students from the class of 2026 have more options than ever
Why do so many under-35s struggle to find work in Ireland’s booming economy?
Despite near full employment there were more than 80,000 people aged 34 and under unemployed in the second quarter of 2026
Cost of growing carrots rising faster than retail prices, industry group warns
Carrots are Ireland’s most purchased vegetable, with retail sales of about 52,000 tonnes annually
Dáil recall over fuel interventions ‘under review’, says Burke
Middle East conflict leaves Government in ‘very uncertain, uncharted territory again’, Minister says
Booking.com users struggle in the face of phantom bookings and rogue cancellations
Online platform criticised for lack of customer care and basic understanding when things go wrong
China appears to have saved us from a global recession
Beijing’s decision to slash oil imports has kept a lid on prices, avoiding a wider economic fallout
Higher energy prices and rising rents increase cost-of-living squeeze for Irish households
Latest Consumer Price Index indicates inflation rose by 3.4% in July
Diesel and petrol prices surge in August with further rises expected in coming months
Diesel up 19 cents and petrol up 9 cents from July, AA Ireland says, with further rises expected
A Currys customer’s ‘extremely exhausting and frustrating’ glitchy phone experience
Anna writes that ‘every time I speak to Currys, it’s like there’s no case history’
A ‘cold, spreadsheet-driven’ Aer Lingus response to a young woman’s ‘freak accident’
Woman says rival airline staff ‘visibly shocked’ by Aer Lingus attitude after spinal injury requires urgent trip and repatriation
Global food prices hit three-year high on back of conflict and extreme weather
UN’s index of food-commodity prices rose by 0.6% last month as supply and harvest concerns hit cereal costs
Here are eight ways to keep the high cost of winter down, but you need to start soon
On The Money: Winter is coming but it doesn’t have to cost the earth
Irish borrowers draw down record number of car loans as personal lending activity surges
Banking industry group says figures point to ‘continued consumer confidence’ in early part of 2026
When I briefly left home to go to a refuge, my housing assistance payment was stopped
The property management company repeatedly refused to sign my forms, saying that I had ‘cancelled the HAP payment and moved out of the house’
I recommend the rent-a-room scheme but costs have soared since 2017
I hope that the €14,000 limit will be raised in the budget
Spending on digital devices for secondary school pupils now as much as €850, survey finds
Parents taking out loans and dipping into savings to cover rising back-to-school expenses
Re-Turn scheme salaries, back-to-school costs and rules for lawyers using generative AI
Plus: How erosion threatens 100km of the Co Wexford coast
20 things that can go wrong on holiday and how to put them right
How to deal with everything from flight delays and lost luggage to stolen passports and car hire disputes
My friends never pick up the bill and it’s making me resentful
Ask Roe: I hate the idea of becoming someone who counts every penny. How do I stop?
‘You will live in squalor’: Trump revives Red Scare rhetoric ahead of US midterms
A growing ideological divide within the Democratic Party is giving Trump and his allies a potent new line of attack before the midterms
Are middle earners ripped off by the Irish income tax system?
There are options to lower taxes but doing so requires political decisions
Inflation holds steady in July as energy prices fell
Consumer prices stable during period of relative calm in Middle East
Let them eat crumbs: Growing wage inequality is bad for both workers and businesses
Companies in Ireland should disclose the ratio of CEO pay to median employee pay as US and UK groups do
Trump’s most loyal supporters – white working-class men – are becoming disillusioned
Not with his displays of spiteful narcissism, but with rising prices for gas and groceries
MetroLink: Can the public trust the State with another project of this scale?
The national children’s hospital project has seriously damaged trust
Heat pump installations must increase twentyfold ‘to meet green targets’
Climate Change Advisory Council also warns against further delay of rises in carbon tax
Irish consumer confidence remains below average while inflation fears loom over families
Irish consumer sentiment was notably lower than elsewhere in Europe, the UK and US last month
Woman hit with €1,784 bill after VHI rules Blackrock Clinic stay unnecessary
Reader Mary spent two nights in a clinic after a fall, but her insurer said one of the nights was not medically necessary
Irish shoppers splashed out on suncream, deodorant and booze during hot spell, new data shows
Figures point to 4.2% increase in the price of groceries compared with a year ago
Revolut leaves customers without cash and tells them to sling their hook without reason
A reader found himself unable to pay for shopping at Lidl because Revolut blocked him without explanation
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
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Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices