RTE Business

Irish SME's secured €502m in venture capital funding during the first quarter of the year, an increase of nearly a third on the same period last year.

They may not get as much attention as food, drink and energy, but the cost of toiletries, hygiene products and cosmetics have also seen significant increases in the past year, writes Adam Maguire.

US President Joe Biden has said that Democratic and Republican negotiators were on the verge of resolving a debt ceiling standoff, as the deadline for a potentially catastrophic US default was pushed back to 5 June.

Petrol and diesel prices are at their lowest point in more than 18 months, but consumers are unlikely to welcome the restoration of fuel excise duties, which gets underway in the coming days, writes Adam Maguire.

Another two rate hikes from the European Central Bank are still on the cards but moves further out remain open to debate as inflation is still stubborn, Irish central bank chief Gabriel Makhlouf said.

Dublin City Council has given the green light to father and son property developers, Charlie and Max O'Reilly Hyland for a 120 bedroom seven-storey hotel overlooking the Iveagh Gardens at Dublin's St Stephen's Green.

As banks came undermounting pressure in March, Deutsche Bank used big trades to give its cash buffers a temporary boost, employing a method that European regulators have raised concerns over, according to two sources familiar with the situation.

The Environmental Protection Agency has launched the first phase of a new online service, which will allow the public to view the enforcement activities, actions and communications between the EPA and holders of EPA licences and permits.

Accumulated profits at boxer, Katie Taylor's commercial firm here last year dipped to €1.6 million.

Fáilte Ireland has launched four new Regional Tourism Development Strategies which will provide a framework for the sustainable tourism development across Ireland between 2023 and 2027.

Skillnet Ireland has announced a new partnership with business network, IRDG, which it said will empower businesses to success through innovation with world-class skills training.

Sell-out crowds for Harry Styles and Westlife concerts at the Aviva Stadium last summer contributed to operating profits of €7.97m for the stadium firm.

Many over 65 year olds may not be on the most cost effective health insurance plan for their needs, the Health Insurance Authority (HIA) has claimed, as new data showed they paid 42% more on average for cover last year than younger cohorts.

Irish space technology company O.C.E. Technology has signed a contract with the European Space Agency (ESA) to develop a multicore real-time operating system "OCEOSmp" for use in mission critical software.

Oil prices were stable today, as the market weighed conflicting messages on supply from Russia and Saudi Arabia ahead of the next OPEC+ policy meeting, a stronger US dollar and worries of weaker-than-expected demand growth.

French tyre maker Michelin said today it was selling its Russia Tyre Manufacturing Company (MRTMC) and Camso CIS in Russia to Power International Tires, a tyre distributor in the country.

Generous wage deals in some euro zone countries are still within expectations, even if there is some upside risk to wage growth, European Central Bank chief economist Philip Lane said today.

Carol Andrews has been named as Co-Chair of Balance for Better Business (B4BB), the independent review group which aims to improve gender balance in senior business leadership in Ireland.

Credit Suisse has been ordered to pay $926m compensation after a Singapore court said the bank had breached its duty to safeguard the assets of a former prime minister of Georgia.

Energy company Corre Energy said its investment phase saw a €10.6m loss recorded after tax, in line with expectations, for the year to the end of December.