Almost 200 mandatory redundancies are expected this autumn at the Intel plant in Leixlip, Co Kildare, according to people briefed on the situation. The company is undergoing a major restructuring at the moment but it is understood that the plant, where almost 5,000 people are employed, will remain central to the company’s operations. Pat Leahy, Jack Horgan Jones and Ciara O’Brien report.

The volume of retail sales fell by 0.6 per cent in May, as consumer spending in department stores along with food, beverage and tobacco feeling the largest decline. As Hugh Dooley reports, Despite the monthly drop, retail sales volume still advanced 1.6 per cent in the past 12 months, according to the latest data from the Central Statistics Office.

Government spending will need to increase by about €265 billion over the next 25 years to pay for an ageing population, more housing and cutting emissions, Central Bank governor Gabriel Makhlouf has said, as he called for a credible spending rule to help prevent future downturns.