A record 38,189 permits for foreign, non-European workers, to come to Ireland were issued this year, a 24% increase on 2023. With the Irish economy experiencing full employment against a backdrop of increased economic activity firms have sought increased levels of work permits from the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment (DETE) across various sectors and industries. New data shows the department received almost 45,000 applications this year and granted more than 38,000, made up of 32,480 new permits and 5,709 renewals. The increase came despite a rise last January in the income thresholds for various positions. January also saw a major expansion of the programme with 43 new occupations added to the list including mechanics, electricians, meteorologists, butchers and bakers. More than 12,000 were issued for workers in the healthcare sector mainly for roles in nursing and healthcare assistants. More than 6,500 work permits were granted for professionals working in the tech sector and in excess of 3,500 permits were granted for the Agri sector, mainly for workers in meat processing plants. In terms of nationalities, the Department's figures show India topped the list with 13,147 permits issued followed by Brazil (4,458), Philippines (3,944), China (1,903) and Pakistan (1,690). Over half of all new permits issued were Critical Skills Employment Permits for workers who are qualified in professions where there is a shortage of skills in Ireland such as doctors, nurses, engineers and ICT professionals. The Department said the average salary for these roles was €58,746. "With 2.7m people in Ireland now at work, many industries are finding it difficult to recruit and retain staff in a tight labour market," Minister of State with responsibility for Employment, Emer Higgins said. "Hiring from outside of the European Economic Activity helps supplement our workforce in areas of critical skills." Based on data up until November, meat processing firm Dawn Meats Ireland was the largest single company to be issued permits with 662 workers followed by healthcare facility firms Redwood Extended Care (457), Mowlam Healthcare Services (390), and Nua Healthcare (371). Within the technology sector, Google Ireland was issued 368 permits Amazon Development Centre was issued 341 permits and Amazon Web Services was issued 218. The data shows that 2024 was the first year that Dublin accounted for less than half of the permits issued.With a new year ahead and the holiday fanfare behind, this is a great time to set money goals, especially if you recently spent a lot on gifts and travel and want to get your finances in shape. You’d be in good company, too — according to a January 2024 survey from the Pew Research Center, of the 30% of Americans who made at least one New Year’s resolution, 61% had a goal that was money-related. Right now, you may be highly motivated to solve every single one of your money issues in the next few months, but daily life is guaranteed to get in the way. Your financial to-do list, once so full of promise, can eventually get stuffed in the back of a drawer while you manage more pressing matters. The vast majority of New Year’s resolutions go unfulfilled. So how can you improve your odds of success? It comes down to accepting that you won’t have the time or energy to complete every task to perfection. Creating a system where you can prioritize, plan ahead and hold yourself accountable can help. Many start by setting a goal to trim frivolous costs, which can certainly be helpful, but there are other ways to make a big difference. Taylor Schult — a certified financial planner and founder of Define Financial, an advisory firm in San Diego — recommends starting with a few overlooked financial tasks. Freezing your credit is a quick, easy way to guard yourself against identity theft. It’s free to do, and you can temporarily lift the freeze when you’re applying for a loan or credit card. Schulte also suggests looking into umbrella insurance , which offers additional coverage beyond what your auto, homeowners and other insurance policies provide. This coverage can spare you from massive out-of-pocket costs in the event you get sued. Basic estate planning, including creating a will, is another thing to put high on your list. Putting off this task can create a major headache for your loved ones if something happens to you unexpectedly. “I know it’s a pain point and it’s often kicked down the road,” Schulte says. Paying attention to your spending is always important, but don’t neglect taking steps to protect your money, yourself and your loved ones. So many money goals are born out of social pressure. You “should” want to save up to own a home, even if you’re happily renting. You “should” sacrifice short-term needs and wants to stash away as much as possible for retirement, even though it leaves you feeling deprived. But money goals should be tied to the things that matter most to you. If they aren’t, you’ll quickly lose interest. “If you don’t know what goals to choose, go back to your values and have them guide the goals you set,” says Eric Roberge, a certified financial planner and founder of Beyond Your Hammock, a financial advisory firm in Boston. You can combine goal-setting with a little planning, so expenses are less likely to creep up on you throughout the year. Think about what expected costs will be coming up in the next six to 12 months, like recurring bills, vacations, anticipated home or car repairs, and other expenses. This approach allows you to set money aside each month to put toward planned costs, as well as longer-term goals. Forgetting your goals can be far too easy, so to make something stick, write it down . It can be as simple as a handwritten list you keep on the fridge, or online calendar reminders that will nudge you every so often. For time-sensitive goals, set deadlines. One tactic is to make multiple lists based on what you need to complete within the next week, month or three months. As time passes and you check off items, you can update the list. Enlist others’ help, too. Weekly or monthly household money meetings are useful if you’re completing financial tasks as a group. Or share your goals with a trusted friend or family member who can serve as an accountability partner. Looping in loved ones can help keep you on track. “We don’t mind letting ourselves down,” Schulte says. “But we hate to let other people down.” It’s easy to get stuck in decision-making mode when trying to pick a high-yield savings account, credit card or possible investments, but eventually, you need to make a good-enough choice . Taking action now can have more of a positive effect on your life than waiting until you’ve painstakingly considered each option. Roberge says that though he’d prefer to optimize every financial decision, he doesn’t because if he did, he wouldn’t get things done. “Everything in moderation is one of the things that I live by,” he says. “Going to extremes in any one thing, at the detriment of other things that are important, doesn’t work long-term.” More From NerdWallet Sara Rathner writes for NerdWallet. Email: srathner@nerdwallet.com . Twitter: @sarakrathner. The article Got Money Goals for the New Year? Stay on Track With These Tips originally appeared on NerdWallet.
REGINA - Saskatchewan’s fall legislative sitting ended with political barbs traded across the aisle after Premier Scott Moe promised a better tone two weeks ago. The swipes began when Opposition NDP Leader Carla Beck told the assembly Moe should offer immediate affordability relief, including suspending the 15-cent-a-litre gas tax and scrapping the provincial sales tax on ready-to-eat grocery items and children’s clothing. In reply, Moe said there is no sales tax on groceries and that Beck should go speak to federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh. Crown Investments Minister Jeremy Harrison also said New Democrats don’t know how to grow the economy. The remarks drew ire from Opposition members, with one saying Moe’s government deserves a lump of coal for Christmas. Moe had promised in late November better civility in the house after former Speaker Randy Weekes accused government members of bullying and harassment. This report by The Canadian Press was first published Dec. 10, 2024.Lindsey is a Seattle area writer interested in all things society, including internet culture, politics, and mental health. Outside of the Daily Dot, her work can be found in publications such as The Mary Sue, Truthout, and YES! Magazine.
What did you Google in 2024? From the elections to Copa América, here's what search trends show
From the moment he stepped back into the prime minister's job over two years ago, Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu appeared to do whatever he could to stop, defer or otherwise avoid this day. On Tuesday, the 75-year-old became the first sitting Israeli leader to appear as a defendant in a criminal case when he took the witness stand and began testifying in his own defence. Netanyahu was charged in 2019 with fraud, bribery and breach of trust but his trial was repeatedly delayed — first for the COVID-19 pandemic, then for the Hamas attacks on Oct. 7, 2023, and subsequently because his lawyers argued Israel's ongoing wars against Hamas and Hezbollah made Netanyahu too busy to attend. But with his final appeals exhausted, a combative Netanyahu showed up surrounded by supporters at a high-security Tel Aviv courthouse Tuesday and proceeded to launch volley after volley of incendiary attacks against the media, prosecutors and his political foes. Supporters of Netanyahu react outside the court where he took the stand for the first time in his long-running corruption trial on Tuesday. (Stoyan Nenov/Reuters) Answering softball questions from his own defence lawyer, Israel's longest-serving prime minister spent most of his time as a witness railing against 'leftist" media, saying they are so irrelevant he'd never waste his time trying to gain their favour — a key aspect of the prosecution's case against him. On the three counts of corruption he's facing, he said it was "simply absurd" that he and his wife, Sara, accepted almost $200,000 Cdn in gifts — cigars, champagne and jewelry — from rich businessmen in exchange for political favours. Benjamin Netanyahu begins testifying in his corruption trial, calls charges 'ocean of absurdness' On the charge that he traded favours with the owners of a prominent Israeli newspaper to get positive coverage, Netanyahu went on another tirade, accusing reporters and media publications of "bias" and being a "great danger" to Israeli democracy. And finally, on the question of whether he used his position as the head of Israel's government to bestow regulatory favours on an Israeli telecommunications firm to — again — get more positive media coverage, he denied any wrongdoing. "There was no 'understanding,' no corruption, no nothing," he said, suggesting the entirety of the cases against him were politically motivated. 'Witch hunt' The evening before, at a combative press conference, Netanyahu called the trial a "political witch hunt" that had "ruined the lives of dozens of people" caught up in it. For Israel's longest-serving prime minister and leader, the personal and political risks of the trial could not be greater. If found guilty, the criminal penalties could be up to 10 years in prison. People wear white as they take part in a silent protest demanding the return of the hostages kidnapped during the deadly Oct. 7, 2023 attack. The protest took place on Dec. 4 outside Netanyahu's residence in Jerusalem. (Ronen Zvulun/Reuters) But as he began what's expected to be a month of testimony, it appeared that Netanyahu was most concerned with his political legacy. "For sure, he would not want his legacy to be ... him on a defendant's seat in a courtroom, but rather as a leader who instructs commanders of the military in a strategic point in the Golan Heights," said Yohanan Plesner, president of the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem-based political think tank. Plesner told CBC News that although Netanyahu got off to a predictably combative start, it's unclear how his belligerence will play once he faces cross-examination by prosecutors or has to speak directly to the panel of judges. "Netanyahu is the most divisive figure in the country's history," said Plesner. His supporters frame him as a defender of Israel, who is tough on security and espouses a strong sense of Jewish national identity, Plesner said. However, Netanyahu's many detractors blame him for eroding Israel's democratic institutions, bringing about record levels of polarization in society and "overseeing the worst security catastrophe in the country's history" with the Oct. 7 attacks, Plesner added. As his testimony unfolds over the next month that he's expected to be on the witness stand, observers expect Netanyahu will continue to attack the justice system for putting him on trial while at the same time trying to drag out the proceedings as long as possible. Smoke rises from an explosion following an airstrike last May in Gaza. (Amir Cohen/Reuters) Defence strategy "There are two layers of his defence," said Gayil Talshir, author of a book on the politician and a professor at Jerusalem's Hebrew University. "One is to say, 'The courts are just persecuting me because they are part of the opposition and the opposition cannot win in elections,'" she said. "The other line is that Netanyahu is going to say that he was not part of it ... that he didn't know a lot about the issues that the state is actually prosecuting him for, [that] he has more important security issues to deal with." Talshir also told CBC News that Netanyahu will likely continue to draw out the case as long as possible. "He doesn't want to get to the verdict," she said. ANALYSIS — Fifth Estate Netanyahu's quest for political survival could be affecting the push for Mideast peace, U.S. election Indeed, Netanyahu's political rivals repeatedly accused him of dragging out the war in Gaza and sacrificing the lives of both Israeli hostages and Palestinians in Gaza to give him an excuse to avoid taking the witness stand. Netanyahu's Likud party is part of a coalition of far-right Jewish parties whose members have been vocal about their desire to continue with the war, arguing that the best outcome for Israel would be to push much of the Palestinian population out of Gaza and resettle the territory with Jews. Both sides of Israel's highly polarized society were on display outside the Tel Aviv courtroom where Netanyahu was testifying. People protest in support of Palestinians in Gaza at the headquarters of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in October 2023. (Piroschka van de Wouw/Reuters) Yael Navon was among the protesters demanding he resign immediately, saying being the defendant in a major criminal trial and leading the country are fundamentally incompatible. "All of us want our hostages out and in his position, he can't do it," she told CBC News. Meanwhile, Asaf Sokolowski said he believed the charges against Netanyahu were politically motivated. "We see this as an attack on us, his supporters. An attack on at least half of Israelis," he said. Netanyahu will face legal troubles if ever leaves Israel, too. Last month, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for him, accusing Netanyahu of crimes against humanity in relation to Israel's 14-month war in Gaza. He has also been accused by rights groups , such as Amnesty International, of leading a genocide against Palestinians and waging an immoral war against civilians. But as Netanyahu settled in for what will be a marathon of thrust-and-parry with prosecutors over the next month, the prime minister's focus appeared exclusively on winning over a domestic audience. In the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Canadian-Israeli columnist Dahlia Scheindlin wrote that Netanyahu gave long-winded answers to present himself as a "global statesman" and the only person able to stand up to the "nefarious forces" challenging Israel. It's a line of defence that may have little relevance to the criminal charges he's facing. But it could be very important in solidifying his position with Israeli voters at election time.