View this email in your browser Business Today Tuesday, 28 July, 2026 Editor's Note Good morning, reader First-time buyer couples with two incomes availing of the Government Help to Buy scheme still faces still struggle to afford a hole in Dublin or surrounding counties, the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland has said. Eoin Burke-Kennedy has the details on a story with few solutions in sight. Ireland saw a “slight dip” in consumer confidence last month, which is already “well below” average even as shoppers in the US, UK and elsewhere in Europe grew more confident in their daily spending habits. Stephen Conneely has the story. A huge proportion of people now actively avoid the news. Is that just because they feel the news is terrible, or are news organisations at least partially to blame? Hugh Linehan unpacks the issues at play in his column. Continue Reading Peter Flanagan   TOP BUSINESS STORIES Business Johnson and Johnson agrees to pay $5.5bn to settle baby powder lawsuits Business First-time buyers with two incomes still priced out of market, SCSI study finds Business Irish consumer confidence remains below average while inflation fears loom over families Business Nama to be dissolved this weekend, closing book on financial crisis after 17 years Business DCC Energy board backs ‘compelling’ takeover bid of up to £5.73bn Richard Cantillon US Federal Reserve’s direction of travel on interest rates has rarely been this opaque MORE BUSINESS STORIES Business Stocks waver as chip sell-off offsets US-Iran peace hopes Business Upgrading a home’s Ber rating can add €67,000 to asking price, new research indicates Business Irish shoppers splashed out on suncream, deodorant and booze during hot spell, new data shows Business Primark profits surge to €1.4bn as Penneys sales decline for second year Do you have questions about becoming an Irish Times subscriber, or about your subscription? You'll find handy guides in our FAQs, and you can manage many aspects of your subscription in the My Account section. Never miss a business story Subscribe now for just €1 for your first month SUBSCRIBE