From minimum wage to affordable childcare: Tackling child poverty demands policies geared to ‘keep parents at work’
States must also provide adequate income support and accessible, high-quality services, says OECD report
Organisation For Economic Co-Operation And Development (OECD)
Financial reality Irish schools face is not reflected in OECD’s statistics
If education in Ireland were properly funded, think what could be achieved
The Irish Times view on Ireland’s education system: a detailed comparison with some surprises
Despite spending less than the OECD average, its educational outcomes are impressive
Ireland spends less on education than OECD average, new data shows
The report also found the number of primary teachers in Ireland increased by 27 per cent over the last seven years, which is much higher than the OECD average
Not everyone wants to be in a nursing home. A Dutch dementia village is one alternative
If we need an extra 1,000 nursing home beds every year, then we also need other models of care
The descent of man: are we developing a distaste for effort?
Across OECD countries, the number of students who say they give up easily is increasing
Why do women still retire with less wealth than men?
Career breaks, maternity leaves and lower lifetime earnings continue to create a significant pension gap
As controversy grows over Leaving Cert reform, Northern Ireland is going the other way
It should be possible to learn fascinating lessons by comparing outcomes either side of the Border
Ireland’s falling reading rates: ‘There’s a crisis of literacy. There’s a crisis of reading’
Teenagers, both in Ireland and globally, are much worse at reading than they were 10 years ago, OECD finds
Falling standards are falling standards
Irish teenagers getting lower maths and reading scores is a negative thing and deserves an appropriate headline
‘Pervasive’ decline: Educators must re-engage young people with reading, says OECD
Pisa results confirm we have a world-class education system – but the drop-off in reading and maths scores should not be ignored
Irish teenagers getting weaker at maths and reading, new international research shows
OECD says ‘increased digitalisation’ and ‘falling rates of reading for enjoyment have coincided with weaker literacy outcomes’
Ireland needs to widen scope of the R&D tax credit to attract more investment
Government should ease restrictions on accessing the incentive
Multinationals paid additional €1bn in July as new 15% tax rate kicks in
Government has collected €59.6bn in tax to date in 2026, up €1.6bn on same period last year
Dublin and Cork look to lead on climate action in ambitious pilot project
Plans for Dublin and Cork show sweeping changes needed in transport, housing and energy sources
Ireland’s tax figures are so remarkable that the world is noticing, and this brings danger
Ireland has no credible strategy for paying the big bills coming down the track from investment, climate change and an ageing population
Strong tax returns of €50bn strengthen Government’s budgetary position
Latest half-year exchequer numbers indicate State collected €7.5bn in corporate tax last month
Denying our dependence on US firms is like saying Tony Soprano worked in ‘waste management’
As a country we need to be honest about how important American companies are to our economy
People ‘have more trust in individuals than in political parties, civil service or media’
CSO report finds older people are more likely to trust government, while younger people have more faith in electoral system
Private healthcare and public hospitals
We need a single national health fund if we want to create a health system based on need not income
OECD warns of ‘dark scenario’ if Gulf energy crisis drags on
Growth rates would tumble to levels rarely seen outside of big global events such as the Covid-19 pandemic, report says
Food security must be made a priority of Ireland’s EU presidency
Global conflicts, climate change and a looming El Niño threaten worsening food shortages in 2026
Ireland needs to wean itself off fossil fuels and start to unhitch its wagon from the US
In a volatile world we can’t take continued Irish economic success for granted
Do Irish people pay more income tax than elsewhere? The answer may surprise you
What are implications behind the political promises to lower the income tax burden in the budget
Taxes on wages hit 10-year high across OECD countries but Ireland bucking the trend
Report says governments are tapping labour income as ‘easy’ revenue raiser but risk undermining incentives to work and hire
Three years of war in Sudan has failed to persuade international community to act
There are now 33 million people who need humanitarian assistance
Education needs bigger thinking as well as tighter budgeting
Chronic underfunding means spending overruns are inevitable
IMF chief says oil shock is testing a world with little fiscal buffer
IMF which had been on track to hike its world economic forecasts before Iran war now saw it will cut its outlook next week
Long Covid to cost OECD economies up to €115bn a year
New research predicts impact of lower productivity and workers quitting because of long-term illness after Covid-19
Toxic overconfidence is on the rise
Unhealthy kind of confidence is on the rise - an arrogance that tips into hubris
Gender pay gap agenda is contrived, pointless and ignores the reality of women like me
What about the professional Irish women who, when their household income allows it, quit work or reduce their hours to look after their children?
US inflation will surge to 4.2% on energy shock, warns OECD
Middle East war to push American price growth to ‘highest in G7’
How Irish healthcare compares with other countries: you might be surprised
Global index ranks healthcare in Ireland sixth best in the world
Deal sought to improve tax arrangements for cross-Border workers
Details of move expected at UK-Ireland summit in Cork
Having to reveal how voluntary contributions are spent is insulting to schools
The Minister for Education has chosen not to address the funding deficit, which is the essence of governance by distraction
Bullying intensity in Irish schools increased over eight years, study shows
Immigrant backgrounds linked with greatest increase in bullying intensity, OECD report finds
Crackdown on crypto tax evasion comes into force
Ireland among first wave of countries to collect digital currency transaction records and share information
The cause of the great reading crisis is unknown. But the solution is obvious
Someone, somewhere, has spent years, perhaps their whole life, pulling a book together. The reader gets to spend weeks reading it, and perhaps their whole life thinking about it
Ireland has second highest emissions per head in EU and must do more to reach net zero by 2050
We have made good progress on decarbonising electricity and in retrofitting buildings but are moving too slowly on transport
Recent income tax changes ‘echo’ pre-2008 financial crisis budgets, Central Bank warns
‘Little change’ in average tax rates across the income distribution since 2013, new research finds
Revenue will get details of property Irish people hold abroad under new deal
Information exchange deal with other OECD countries to tackle tax evasion will disclose details of income coming for foreign property
Half of Early Learning and Care staff expect to leave job within five years – OECD report
Survey found 97% of workers in Irish sector have high qualifications but low level of job satisfaction
Rate cuts will end in leading economies next year, says OECD
Paris-based group signals major central banks have scant room to loosen policy further
Why community ‘fulfils our basic need to belong’ and how to find yours
Loneliness is not a one-dimensional experience, nor is it always bleak or even permanent, despite results of recent data
Cold comfort at Athens forum on democracy in face of threats and rising tide of populism
Organisers express hope for ‘rule by the people’, but speakers take more pessimistic line
Maynooth University officially launches new school of nursing
Nursing school currently has 27 undergraduates, with number of students due to rise to 100 within four years
How the Irish income tax system hits middle earners
Analysis by the Tax Foundation ranks State’s personal taxation system poorly
Young people report higher levels of loneliness than their elders do
Those aged 16 to 24 felt ‘lonely most or all of the time over past four weeks’, says OECD report
Pre-budget figures show significant surplus in prospect for 2026
Corporate tax take is forecast to climb to €34.1bn and income tax receipts to exceed €39bn
World economy yet to feel full force of Trump tariffs, OECD says
Organisation raised its 2025 outlook for world growth, but decline anticipated in 2026
Economic challenges ahead due to Ireland’s fast-ageing population, Makhlouf warns
Central Bank governor highlights ‘stark’ implications of State’s shifting demographics
More countries hiking taxes amid rising healthcare, age related spending
OECD report highlights trends in government spending globally
‘A generation of students is losing out’: State trailing behind globally in education spending, OECD finds
Report indicates Ireland’s ratio of 19 students per member of teaching staff exceeds OECD average of 15 to one
Crosswords & Puzzles
Crosswords & puzzles to keep you challenged and entertained
Stardust
Inquests into the nightclub fire that led to the deaths of 48 people
Common Ground
How does a post-Brexit world shape the identity and relationship of these islands
Family NoticesOpens in new window
Weddings, Births, Deaths and other family notices