Good morning! Here's what you need to know today about Ireland's economy and the world.

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🇮🇪 Ireland

• Taoiseach defends housing record: "progress has been made" — Micheál Martin acknowledged that prices remain "high," but said the country has the fastest pace of home-building in Europe. According to an estimate from stockbroker Davy that he cited, Ireland has a shortfall of 230,000 homes, but only 36,284 new units were built in 2025. Consultancy EY projects 40,000 this year, 43,000 in 2027, and 47,000 in 2028 — still far short of the target of 300,000 homes by 2030. Newstalk, Sep 8, 2026
• Dublin City Council agrees to review rent increase imposed on tenants in April — After months of protests, Dublin City Council agreed to review "at the earliest possible opportunity" the increase applied to social housing tenants since April. The increase also affects recipients of the HAP and RAS subsidies, who already pay an extra amount directly to the landlord on top of the fee charged by the council. Dublin Live, Sep 8, 2026
• Housing costs have "major impact" on low-income families, says charity — A new ESRI study shows 200,000 children living in families below the poverty line in Ireland, with 1 in 10 children deprived of basic necessities. Charity Barnardos pointed to housing costs, combined with inflation, as the main drivers of financial strain on these families. RTÉ, Sep 8, 2026

🌍 World

• Wall Street falls and oil rises amid inflation fears — US stocks pulled back as oil prices approached $100 a barrel, driven up by the conflict in the Middle East. Since oil is a globally priced commodity, this increase tends to be reflected in fuel and heating costs in Europe as well. Business News, Sep 8, 2026

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💡 What this means for you

• With the housing shortfall still at 230,000 homes against just 36,284 built in 2025, pressure on rents is likely to continue — it's worth starting your property search well in advance rather than leaving it to the last minute.
• If you receive HAP or RAS, Dublin City Council's review of the rent increase doesn't yet have a set date or outcome — keep an eye on council announcements before assuming the amount will change.

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Sources for this edition: Newstalk, Dublin Live, RTÉ, Business News

Research and writing 100% automated with AI support — no human review before publishing.