The Irish Congress of Trade Unions has advised affiliates representing members in the private sector to lodge pay claims for between 4.7 per cent and 6 per cent “where sustainable” in 2026. Cantillon looks at what could be next in the DAA-Kenny Jacobs dispute, while also assessing the next direction on interest rates for the ECB. In Your Money, Donald Trump has been pushing the idea of a 50-year mortgage in recent weeks as a way on to the property ladder for some people. Dominic Coyle answers a reader question on what happened to a person’s retirement fund after they die. Diplomatic efforts are intensifying to see whether there is sufficient support among European capitals to approve the controversial Mercosur trade deal.

Source: The Irish Times December 16, 2025 15:40 UTC