Tag Archives: CSO

SHANNON Airport is set to record a decrease in its number of passengers this year, unless there is a late improvement. Figures for the first three-quarters of 2017 show the number of passengers was 5.2% less than for the first three-quarters of 2016. It is a disappointing state of affairs, almost five years after its separation from the Dublin Airport Authority. According to the CSO statistics, 1,257,996 passengers were handled by Shannon in the first nine months of the year. This was almost 70,000 below the figure of 1,327,313 for the same period of 2016. It was also lower than the 1,297,080 that travelled through the airport in the first nine months of 2015. When Shannon was separated from Dublin, its business plan was to have 2.3 million passengers per annum in 2017, a figure the airport is very far away from achieving. The decline in passenger numbers at Shannon is in marked contrast to the other airports for which …

Retail Ireland, the Ibec group that represents the sector, has warned that the retail sales figures for July, released by the CSO today (Monday) act as a timely reminder not to take continued growth in the sector for granted. Core retail sales in July decreased by 0.6% when compared with June, indicating a mid-summer dip in performance. However, the group said that broader retail trends remain positive, with sales increasing by 3.5% in the year to date. Retail Ireland director Thomas Burke stated, “Despite a return to growth in retail sales values, core retail sales, excluding motor trades and bar sales, remain volatile. While there may be a perception that all is well again in the retail sector, much of the current growth is being driven by deep discounting in shops and ongoing sales activity. Such prolonged discounting, while necessary in the current uncertain consumer market, is undoubtedly draining profits for retailers. “This environment makes it difficult for retailers to …

Property Industry Ireland (PII), the Ibec group for businesses working in the property sector, has said the house price statistics released today (Tuesday) by the CSO show the need to urgently increase the supply of housing. PII director, Dr David Duffy stated, “The lack of housing supply has been highlighted for a number of years. While there is some debate about which measure of housing supply to use, the supply of new homes coming onto the market remains well below the estimated annual average demand of 25,000 to 30,000 units, and this does not include any pent-up demand. “Policy makers and industry must continue to work together to identify how the supply of new homes can be increased across all regions of the country.”

The Joint Committee on Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government will meet on Wednesday to discuss the Census 2016 results. The primary focus of the meeting is to examine the trends and developments in housing across Ireland and identify how this may impact upon existing housing policy. Officials from the Central Statistics Office (CSO) will address the Committee. The latest census figures are of significant importance to the Committee. The Housing in Ireland report is the first of eleven thematic reports from Census 2016 and will form the focus of the meeting, The report provides data and analysis on the housing landscape in Ireland over the last five years from April 2011 to April 2016. The census found that there are almost 260,000 vacant homes in the State and Committee members will be keen to discuss this breakdown.

THE latest Irish Hotels Federation (IHF) quarterly barometer showed that hotel and guesthouse owners in Clare and across the country are very optimistic about 2017, after significant growth this year. Nine in 10 IHF members say they saw increased business in 2016, while 57% grew their workforce and some 89% have plans to reinvest in their properties in 2017. Also, according to the Central Statistics Office (CSO), the number of overseas visitors grew by 10% to 8.8 million – the highest number on record. There was an increase of 10% in holiday visitors, while business visitors and those coming to visit friends and relatives were up 12%. Elaine Fitzgerald Kane, chair of the Shannon branch of the IHF, said there has been a lot to be positive about. “Irish tourism has seen a record-breaking year in 2016 and there is a lot to celebrate. This is an outstanding achievement and a result of the hard work being carried out by …

THE latest Quarterly National Household Survey figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO), show that for the first time since Quarter 4 2008 there are now two million people employed in the State. All regions of the country saw a fall in unemployment in the past year. Since 2012 when the first Action Plan for Jobs was launched 176,000 more people are at work, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation Mary Mitchell O’Connor has confirmed. The figures from the CSO also show that there is strong and continued employment growth in all regions of the country. Employment has grown in 12 out of 14 economic sectors, with largest increases recorded in construction, manufacturing and accommodation and food service activities. Speaking today (Tuesday) Minister Mitchell O’Connor said, “These figures from the Central Statistics Office are very encouraging and continue to show that the numbers of people employed in full time jobs is increasing steadily and I am particularly pleased to see …

The Central Statistics Office has launched a helpdesk and app designed to give people help and support as they prepare to make their mark in Census 2016. According to Deirdre Cullen, CSO senior statistician,“By participating in the census, we are helping to shape our understanding about life in Ireland in 2016, and show how Ireland has changed since the last census was taken in 2011. The census is also a fundamental part of our national heritage and collective knowledge. The 2016 census will take place exactly one hundred years to the day since the Easter Rising began, and the results will be of great interest to the historians of the future as they look back and reflect on life in Ireland in 2016”. The Census 2016 helpdesk can be called on 1850 2016 04 and an online helpdesk is available on http://census.ie/helpdesk/ The census app is available on Apple and Android and can be found by clicking on the store …

CSO figures published today (Wednesday) show a significant increase in overseas visitors to Ireland between December 2015 and February 2016. Niall Gibbons, CEO of Tourism Ireland, said, “Today’s figures represent a very positive start to 2016 – confirming that, for the first time ever, we welcomed more than one million visitors in the first two months of the year. In the period December 2015 and February 2016, almost a quarter of a million additional visitors (+17%) came to Ireland, when compared with the same three-month period last year.” Growth was recorded from all markets around the world – including Britain (+21%), North America (+13%), Mainland Europe (over +14%) and from Australia and developing markets (almost +9%). “Our focus now is on surpassing last year’s success, to ensure that 2016 is another record-breaking year for overseas tourism. We remain conscious of recent tragic events in Brussels and elsewhere and the potential impact on travel; we continue to monitor the situation,” Mr …