Aengus Cox

Agriculture and Consumer Affairs Correspondent

More powers for IRB among action plan on insurance costs

Improving pricing transparency and giving the Injuries Resolution Board more powers are among the main measures outlined by the Government to bring down insurance costs in the latest action plan on insurance reform.

Business • 24 Jul 25

Adult dies with listeria as FSAI investigates outbreak

An adult has died with a confirmed case of listeria infection, the Food Safety Authority of Ireland has confirmed.

Ireland • 23 Jul 25

An uncompleted housing project in Kildare

National Development Plan centres on housing delivery

Housing delivery is the centrepiece of the National Development Plan, boosting spending on housing infrastructure by over €40 billion over the next five years to address the chronic shortage of new homes.

Analysis and Comment • 23 Jul 25

Ryanair bag sizer is seen at Rome Ciampino Airport in Ciampino, Italy on April 27, 2025

Ryanair pays staff for identifying oversize cabin bags

Ryanair has said that in a bid to "eliminate the scourge" of passengers bringing oversized baggage to the boarding gate, the airline is considering increasing the commission it pays staff for identifying them.

Ireland • 21 Jul 25

CAP battle starts as EU plans to overhaul farmer payments

The idea of the EU giving newer farmers more financial support at the expense of older ones could prove to be a misguided one if it kills off the very farms its trying to protect, writes Aengus Cox.

Analysis and Comment • 20 Jul 25

252 baby product listings taken off online marketplace

252 baby product listings have been removed from online marketplaces including Amazon and Temu as part of a safety sweep from EU consumer authorities, including Ireland's Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC).

Ireland • 18 Jul 25

Exports of medical and pharmaceutical products soared by almost 74% in May compared to the same time last year, new CSO figures reveal

Exports jump by 47% in first five months of 2025 - CSO

Exports of medical and pharmaceutical products jumped by almost 74% in May to €13.7 billion when compared with the same month last year, according to the latest figures from the Central Statistics Office.

Business • 17 Jul 25

Ringfenced EU funding for farming cut by 22% under plans

Ringfenced EU funding for farming would be cut by more than a fifth, while the Common Agricultural Policy fund would be merged together with rural financial supports, under proposals from the European Commission for the bloc's next budget.

Europe • 16 Jul 25

Conservation scheme sees nine curlew released into wild

A group of nine curlew, a bird species that has seen most of its population lost in Ireland since the 1980s, has been reintroduced to the wild on Lough Ree near Athlone as a part of a conservation project.

Environment • 15 Jul 25

Low angle close up colour image depicting a man holding a shopping basked filled with fresh groceries

Sharp rise in food and drink prices over past year

There has been a sharp rise in the prices of a number of food and drink products over the past year, according to latest inflation figures from the Central Statistics Office.

Business • 14 Jul 25