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

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🇮🇪 Ireland

• Major institutional landlord profits €24 million and credits part of the gain to the housing shortage — A fund linked to French insurer Axa and US investor Kennedy Wilson, owner of 3,506 rental homes in Ireland (including developments like Clancy Quay in Dublin 8 and Capital Dock in the docklands), swung from a €20 million loss to a €24 million profit over the past year, attributing part of the jump to the "significant shortage" of housing in the country. The average monthly rent charged across these properties was €2,546. The Irish Times, September 19, 2026

• Unions and parties protest in Dublin over housing and cost of living ahead of Budget 2027 — SIPTU, Unite, Fórsa and parties like Sinn Féin and the Social Democrats marched to Leinster House demanding government action. According to Unite, more than a third of public sector workers are struggling to pay their bills. RTÉ, September 19, 2026

• Government split over scrapping stamp duty for first-time buyers — Simon Harris and Micheál Martin clashed over Budget 2027: one says removing stamp duty for first-time buyers is "still on the table," while the other has already ruled out the proposal, which is costed at €61 million. The measure remains undecided. Independent.ie, September 19, 2026

• Nearly €10 million deficit at University of Galway threatens teaching jobs — The institution, with more than 19,000 students, will cut costs by 7% across all areas after projecting a shortfall of nearly €10 million for the academic year now starting, putting part-time and temporary teaching positions most at risk. The Irish Times, September 19, 2026

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💡 What this means for you

• If you're looking for a rental, expect to increasingly encounter buildings managed by large institutional funds (rather than individual landlords), like the ones mentioned above — the average rent of €2,546/month across these developments gives a useful benchmark for pricing in this type of complex in Dublin and Cork.
• If you work (or plan to work) in part-time/contract roles at Irish universities, pay attention: cost cuts like the one at University of Galway tend to hit these types of positions first, rather than permanent staff.

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Sources for this edition: The Irish Times, RTÉ, Independent.ie

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