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Credit Union urges parents to shun moneylenders at back-to-school time

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A new, national survey has identified a rise in the number of parents in debt due to back-to-school related costs. Well over a third of parents in Ireland (36%) now say they are getting into debt trying to cope with costs at back-to-school time. This compares with 29% who reported being in debt last year. The worrying findings were revealed in the study commissioned by the Irish League of Credit Unions.

More than two thirds of parents in the study also said that they found back-to-school costs a financial burden. Nearly half (46%) said meeting costs was their biggest back-to-school related worry. Close to one third of parents said they would be forced to deny their children certain school items this year because they could not afford them. Extracurricular activities and new school shoes were amongst the items to be cut from the budget this year.

Reacting to the findings, Helen Courtney Power, Business Development Officer of Killarney Credit Union said that the credit union is all too aware of the struggle for parents this time of year. “We do see parents approaching us around this time of year requesting assistance with either budgeting and saving for the back-to-school spend, or with taking out a loan to see them through. It’s understandable that back-to-school costs are seen as a financial burden for so many when parents are paying out €999 for every primary school child, and over €1,300 for every secondary school child in their household. At XX Credit Union, we offer a special Back to School loan with an affordable APR rate of 6.2%*. The loan is typically approved within 48 hours and there are no hidden transaction fees or charges. As always, we are happy to work with parents to structure repayments in a way that suits their individual circumstances.”

Of concern for the Credit Union was the finding that, of those parents who said they were getting into debt, more than a quarter (27%) said they had turned to a moneylender in an effort to cope with back-to-school costs. This was a noticeable increase on the 20% last year who had opted for a moneylender.

Commenting on this finding, Helen said, “I would really encourage these parents to reconsider approaching a moneylender, some of whom charge APR rates as high as 188%**. This can lead to a recurring cycle of unnecessary debt and panic borrowing. We offer a service called the Personal Micro-Credit Scheme or ‘It Makes Sense’ which was specifically designed to assist social welfare recipients who feel they have no option but to borrow from a moneylender. Our welcoming staff are always on-hand to answer any queries in relation to this loan.

* For a €1,000 1 year variable interest rate loan with 12 monthly repayments of €86, an interest Rate of 6%, a representative APR of 6.2%, the total amount payable by the member is €1,032. Information correct as at 31/07/2018.

** Central Bank of Ireland Register of Moneylenders, July 2018.

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Paralympic legend Jason Smyth visits St Brendan’s

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Paralympic legend Jason Smyth visits St Brendan’s


World renowned Paralympian and world record holder Jason Smyth paid a visit to St Brendan’s College on Wednesday afternoon as part of a high profile visit to Killarney.


The six time Paralympic gold medallist spoke to second year students from St Brendan’s College, alongside students from neighbouring schools St Brigid’s Presentation Secondary School and Killarney Community College.
The interactive talk and interview took place ahead of World Sight Day, with the legendary sprinter sharing his personal journey with Stargardt disease, a genetic eye condition that left him legally blind at eight years old.
The Derry native, who holds the world record as the fastest Paralympian on earth over 100 metres, offered inspiring insights into overcoming physical adversity and achieving success at the highest level of world sport.
The school visit formed the opening leg of his Killarney schedule before he took centre stage later on Wednesday evening at The Killarney Plaza Hotel & Spa.
Smyth headlined An Evening with Paralympian Jason Smyth, an event organised by the Killarney Chamber of Tourism and Commerce as part of its winter schedule, sponsored by AIB.

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Deerpark Retail Park placed on market for fifteen million euro

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Deerpark Retail Park in Killarney has officially been placed on the market with a guide price in excess of 15.4 million euro, excluding VAT.

International real estate firm Cushman & Wakefield has been appointed as the sole sales agent to handle the high-profile commercial property sale on behalf of its current owner, Investcorp.

Investcorp, a global investment management firm headquartered in Bahrain, had previously acquired the prominent shopping complex.


The sale represents one of the largest commercial property offerings to launch in County Kerry this year.

Located roughly 1.3 kilometres west of Killarney town centre, the scheme enjoys strong regional connectivity and sits adjacent to independently owned operations including a Tesco Extra store, a Tesco petrol filling station, JYSK, and Aldi.


Constructed in 2006, the development extends across approximately 10,482 square metres, or 112,835 square feet.

The scheme comprises a mix of modern retail warehouse units and a complementary neighbourhood centre, offering 13 individual units in total with Part Open and Part Bulky Use planning permission.

The units range in size from 94.6 square metres up to 1,994.9 square metres. Visitors have access to approximately 248 customer parking spaces across the commercial grounds.

The park is currently 100 per cent occupied by a strong line-up of established national and international brands.

Key retail tenants include Marks & Spencer, Boots, DID Electrical, Maxi Zoo, and Mountain Warehouse.

The neighbourhood centre element accommodates service and convenience operators such as Costa Coffee, Card Factory, and Salon B.

The first-floor accommodation is fully let to Peak Performance Academy, which provides additional rental diversification.

Additionally, the scheme benefits from an agreement with Tesla to operate eight electric vehicle charging bays within the customer car park.


Commercial figures show that the property generates a total current rental income of 1,326,458 euro per annum, with a weighted average unexpired lease term of 4.45 years to break options and 6.46 years to lease expiry.

Cushman & Wakefield noted that the quoted guide price of 15.4 million euro reflects a net initial yield of 7.83 per cent, assuming standard purchaser costs of 9.96 per cent.

The selling agents highlighted that the fully occupied asset offers investors an attractive income profile alongside scope for additional income generation through parking commercialisation.

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