Oxfam has used the start of the World Economic Forum in Davos as an opportunity to highlight the growing level of inequality globally. The 3.46 million people that their combined wealth eclipses equates to about 85 per cent of the adults in the State and 63 per cent of the 5.46 million estimated usual residential population. Company start-ups in Ireland surged by 11 per cent last year, hitting their highest level in over 15 years. Data from CRIFVision-Net shows nearly 25,000 new businesses were formed, driven by strong growth in agriculture, IT and construction. In Me & My Money, Paul Murphy, chief executive of Climeaction tells Tony Clayton-Lea that he “bought a boat a few years back.

Source: The Irish Times January 19, 2026 08:02 UTC