In 2000 the Electronic Signature Bill was signed into law in Ireland giving e-signatures equal status to ink signatures on paper. Many will remember when Bill Clinton and Bertie Ahern electronically signed an agreement using the new legislation. So, why is it that a significant number of interactions Irish consumers have with Government services and with private sector suppliers still requir... read more>

Recently I was asked to Chair a Government taskforce on SMEs (Small and Medium Enterprises). Running a household can sometimes feel like running a small business and some of the conclusions and actions items coming from the taskforce are very relevant to householders. Plus, many One Big Switch members are sole traders or small business owners so the Report published here  might be of relevance ... read more>

The news cycle this week has been heavily focussed on Brexit, it’s hard to argue there’s a bigger news story than the roll out of the COVID19 vaccine.It’s my view that the European Union and Ireland are struggling to roll out a covid vaccination program. Ireland has vaccinated 4.5% of its population and ranks 30th in the Financial Times ranking for vaccine roll out, far behind the US (13% vacci... read more>

In December 2018 the Right Honourable Priti Patel, now the UK Home Secretary, announced she would be in favour of interrupting food supplies to Ireland if we did not toe the line to avoid a no-deal Brexit. Now, having done our very best to help get a deal in place, it looks like Minister Patel is still getting her way with a swath of interruptions and shortages affecting the Irish consumer. ... read more>

  MONDAY 18 FEBRUARY 2019   2 in 3 IRISH HOUSEHOLDS SUFFERING FROM ENERGY FUEL POVERTY   A survey of 1,500 Irish households has found that 2 in 3 are suffering from energy ‘fuel poverty’. Fuel poverty is universally defined as a household spending over 10% of its income on energy costs.   Exclusive of taxes, Ireland has the second highest electricity prices in the EU[1]. ... read more>