Irish government launches €85m digital fund; Macron loses assembly majority in major setback

The Irish government launched a new €85 million digital transition fund that will provide grant aid to businesses that want to develop new digital products, processes and services. Grantees will be allowed to use the funding administered by Enterprise Ireland to invest in software, new equipment, staff training, automation and artificial intelligence. The €85 million will be distributed between now and 2026, €10 million of which will be available this year.

The median age of house buyers in the State as of 2019 was 38, according to data published by the Central Statistics Office. Of the 45,280 dwellings purchased in 2019, the local election area (LEA) with the highest number of transactions was Howth-Malahide, Fingal, where 770 homes were purchased. This was followed by Naas, Kildare with 740 transactions. The highest median price of a home was in the Stillorgan LEA, which totalled €665,000.