Republic of Ireland

In the second half of 2024, electricity prices for households increased in 10 EU countries and decreased in 14. The largest increase was in Portugal, and the largest decrease was in Latvia.

The European Commission and the European Central Bank will give their consent for Bulgaria to join the Eurozone. This is expected to happen on January 1, 2026, making the country the 21st member of the currency union.

From September, Estonian schoolchildren aged 16-17 will receive personal AI accounts as part of the "AI Leap" program. By 2027, 58,000 students and 5,000 teachers will have access.

According to European Commissioner Maroš Šefčovič, the EU seeks to reach an agreement with the US, but on the basis of respect. European politicians have expressed disappointment over possible further tariffs from the US.

13 countries of the Council of Europe have signed the Convention on the Protection of the Legal Profession. Ukraine is absent among them, although it was expected that it would be one of the first to ratify the document.

The Irish regulator fined TikTok €530 million for illegally transferring European data to China and for insufficient transparency. The company plans to appeal the decision.

According to the ranking of the organization "Reporters Without Borders", global press freedom has deteriorated. Ukraine is ranked 62nd, between South Korea and Brazil.

Ukraine took 73rd position in the ranking of the most powerful passports in the world, sharing it with Colombia, Tuvalu and El Salvador. Ireland took first place, surpassing other European countries.

In April, big screens will feature a selection of film premieres: from Minecraft to an Irish drama, thrillers about cryptographers, and horror films about disappearances.

Irish fighter Conor McGregor has announced his desire to become the president of Ireland. He was previously found guilty of sexual assault and had his wax figure removed from a museum in Dublin.