Today, Ciaran asks about her early days as an entrepreneur, starting the business with €10,000 in savings, and her tips on leadership, scaling, and plans to enter the lucrative US market.

Connolly tells Inside Business that her supply chain - with some products coming from South Korea - have been impacted by delays in freight getting through the Middle East.

“I remain optimistic and hope that whatever happens [in the conflict] we’ll be able to pivot” she says.

Following the ceasefire between the US and Iran which began on Tuesday, Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times explains the impact of falling oil prices, and the jump in European and Asian stock markets.

Produced by Andrew McNair and JJ Vernon. 

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They also chat about the current market turmoil and an increasing level of cyber-attack on the operations of American companies in Ireland by Iranian interests.

In the second half of this week’s Inside Business, Ciarán speaks to Declan Bolger, the chief executive of the Irish Life group, one of the biggest asset managers in the country.

Declan gives his thoughts on the State’s new auto enrolment pension scheme, the rising costs of health insurance premiums, and the impact of AI on his sector.

He also explains why Simon Harris’s plan to introduce a tax-friendly savings and investment scheme will be an “absolute failure” if only viewed for the wealthy.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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But will it be enough? And is it merely a bet by Government on the Iran conflict being resolved quickly?

Joining host Ciarán Hancock in studio to tease this out are Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times and Fergal O’Brien, director of lobbying and influence at employers group Ibec.

But the episode starts with Irish times political correspondent Cormac McQuinn taking us through the various fuel measures introduced by Government. 

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Mark Fitzgerald is chairman of the Fine Gael Commission for renewal and a non-executive director of Sherry FitzGerald Group. He joined host Cliff Taylor in studio to discuss a recent piece he wrote for the Irish Times where he highlights restrictive geography and the lack of imagination around land use and zoning as some of the key contributors to the challenging housing situation in the capital.

But what decisions led to the current scarcity of supply and what choices could be made to meet demand for future generations in the capital?

Also on this episode, the latest report from the Economic and Social Research Institute suggests Ireland is trending to fall far below the 2030 targets as set out in the Climate Action Plan.

Focusing on decarbonising Irish households, the report highlights the slow uptake in retrofitting and the installation of heat pumps. The report also points out some of the barriers preventing homeowners from taking such measures.

Muireann Lynch is a Senior Research Officer with the ESRI and co-authored the report. She joined Cliff on the line to go through the report’s key points.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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The man in charge of this major annual undertaking is Richard Tierney, chief executive of the St Patrick’s Day festival. He joined host Ciarán Hancock in studio to discuss year-long preparations that went into the 2026 festival, what it means for the economy and the part it plays in kicking off Ireland’s tourism season. 

Earlier this week, The Irish Times began an 8-week series on how to invest. Fiona Reddan is the author of the series, and she joined Ciarán in studio to discuss the thesis behind the series and the various that she will cover.

She began with a piece on how Irish people are leaving up to €172 billion on deposit with the banks, earning little or no interest.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. 

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Ireland is already seeing motor fuel prices creep upwards, and the cost of home-heating oil soar in recent days.

Do those price increases reflect reality or are Irish consumers getting taken advantage of? Will prices continue to rise? And how soon before Donald Trump can claim victory and find a resolution?

Host Ciarán Hancock is joined in studio by Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times, professor in energy economics at UCD, Lisa Ryan, and Head of Global Equities at Davy, Aidan Donnelly.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Trump responded by introducing a 10 per cent global tariff under separate legislation. So, what does this mean for Irish exporters? And what does it mean for the trade deal agreed last year with the European Union?

Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times has been writing about the tariffs decision while Pat Rigney of the Shed Distillery exports gin and whiskey to the American market, which is a huge part of his business. They explain the Supreme Court’s decision and outline what the position is right now for Irish exporters in terms of how much they will have to pay in tariffs.

Also on this episode, we look at the Central Statistics Office figures published last week that showed the number of employees working remotely declined for three successive quarters to the end of 2025. Although just shy of 1 million workers are still working from home.

Louisa Meehan is a HR expert with Woodview HRM and she joins host Ciarán Hancock on the line to tease out whether the tables have turned on hybrid working or if this is just a statistical blip.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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His plan is to devise a scheme that generates good returns for savers in a way that puts the money on deposit to better use in the economy.

Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times covered the story this week, he joins host Ciarán Hancock in studio to assess how such a scheme might work and what might be on the table come budget time.

In the second half of this episode, we discuss how visitor numbers to Ireland were down last year, the weather in 2026 has been lousy so far and the country has been getting a reputation as a high-cost location for a holiday.

On the flip side of the coin, the Government has decided to scrap the passenger cap at Dublin Airport and has eased rules that would have banned short term holiday lets in rural locations.

Eoghan O’Mara Walsh is chief executive of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation and joined Ciarán on the line to discuss the issues facing the tourism industry this year and its likely asks of Government in the next budget.

And with St Patrick’s Day on the horizon and it being the typical starting point of the Irish tourism season, how is the year ahead shaping up for the industry?

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Host Ciarán Hancock is joined by Irish Times reporter Hugh Dooley to takes us through the headline findings from the Revolut research, while Irish Times columnist and economist David McWilliams discusses how his image was used by scammers last year to con people out of money.

Also, research this week from the ESRI suggests the property industry is using ghost bids and other tactics to create a frenzy and nudge buyers into increasing their bids for properties here.

It found participants’ bids were pushed higher in open auctions managed by estate agents or online platforms than in sealed bid auctions.

Owen Reilly is a leading estate agent in Dublin, and he discusses how the research chimed with his own experience in the industry.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Host Cliff Taylor is joined on the line by Irish Times contributor John Fitzgerald who thinks Ireland should follow the lead of Scandinavia, the Baltics and the Netherlands, where three-quarters of the population aged 60-64 are in the labour force.

He makes the case that such a move could not only reduce the numbers on the State pension, ease the cost of ageing to the exchequer, but also help alleviate the housing crisis.

Also on this episode, we look at the German economy, which is frequently referred to as the Engine of Europe, but has begun to sputter quite a bit in recent times.

A lack of much-needed reform, low levels of foreign investment and ineffective fiscal stimulus measures are just some of the reasons the German Chancellor Freidrich Merz is under increasing pressure to revive the economy, and quickly.

But what needs to be done before that revival can start? And is there any cause for positivity in the economic outlook for Germany this year?

Irish Times Berlin correspondent Derek Scally offers some insights.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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So, who’s buying it? Why is it viewed as a safe investment? And what role has US president Donald Trump played in this price spike?

Cliff has been following the story and explains the reasons behind the price surge.

The EY Entrepreneur of the Year programme has been running since 1998, with Denis O’Brien chosen as the first winner. Each year 24 finalists are chosen for a months-long programme of events, culminating in awards night and the announcement of the category and overall winners. Last year, Edward McCloskey of WaterWipes fame took home the overall prize.

Roger Wallace is the EY partner in charge of the programme while 2025 finalist James Kelly is a managing director with LMH Engineering in Arklow, Co Wicklow.

They joined Ciarán in studio for a chat on the benefits of the awards programme, what it takes to be an entrepreneur and the current state of Irish entrepreneurship.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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US President Donald Trump’s push to take over Greenland, and the strain it is putting on EU-US relations, has dominated this year’s event so far. Trump is due to arrive in Davos on Wednesday afternoon.

On Tuesday, French president Emmanuel Macron openly accused the US of trying to “subordinate” Europe and referred to the consequences that could arise from this “new colonial approach”.

Also on Tuesday, Canadian prime minister Mark Carney was damning in his assessment of Donald Trump’s impact on global politics and a “fading” rules-based order. He also warned countries against a policy of appeasement when it comes to major powers like the US.

Speaking in Davos, Minister for Enterprise Peter Burke echoed the concerns of many there, he told those in attendance that US strategy on Greenland, and the threat of tariffs to countries opposing the move, was effectively “tearing apart” the EU-US trade deal.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Tensions are rising between US President Donald Trump and the Federal Reserve. Trump has made it very clear that he is no fan of Fed chief Jerome Powell who is due to step down from his post in May, and that he wants the Fed to be more aggressive with interest rate cuts to stimulate the economy.

Those tensions ratcheted up considerably when the US Department of Justice opened an investigation into Powell, and his handling of a $2.5 billion renovation of the central bank’s headquarters.

Powell has publicly pushed back and warned the independence of the Fed is at stake, and senior central bank figures from around the world have also expressed their support for Powell.

Cliff and Eoin also look at Ireland’s decision to vote against the Mercosur trade deal at EU level, it is still going to go through of course, but voting against it has led to charges of hypocrisy given all the talk from Government about Ireland being a small open economy that relies on the free movement of trade and services.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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This was despite extensive warnings about the State’s precarious position due to Donald Trump’s series of tariffs, and the number of big multinationals that use Ireland as an export base.

It was another bumper year for corporation tax receipts as they exceeded expectations, but perhaps the non-corporation tax take offers the clearest insight into how Ireland’s economic growth will progress as we start 2026.

For analysis of the numbers, host Cliff Taylor is joined in studio by chief economist at Davy, Kevin Timoney.

Also on this week’s Inside Business, we look at how new EV sales increased last year to overtake diesel, a massive turnaround from 2023 and 2024, which saw EV sales plummet.

Will this trend continue? Can charging infrastructure start to meet demand? And what’s being done to increase road safety?

Irish Times Motoring Editor Michael McAleer gives his take on the trends hitting Irish roads in 2026.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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After another record-breaking year for corporate tax receipts, is there now a real threat of concentration risk in the Irish economy?

A huge amount of money has been raised and spent on AI, but where is it at in terms of its development? When will investors start looking for a tangible return?

And will Donald Trump turn his attention back to economic matters after moves to end the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine? Could more tariffs be on the way in 2026?

The panel comprises CEO of the Sherry Fitzgerald Group, Marian Finnegan, tech entrepreneur and columnist at the Irish Times, Chris Horn, and Irish Times Economics Correspondent, Eoin Burke-Kennedy.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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A busy year in markets was dominated by US president Donald Trump’s threats to impose huge tariffs on the United States’ trading partners, including Ireland.

Ireland’s housing crisis showed no sign of improvement with completions trending well below Government targets.

And another record-breaking year for corporate tax receipts, coupled with Ireland's gross domestic product (GDP) growing exceptionally by over 10%, meant that the economy is in rude health as we head into 2026.

The panel comprises Aidan Donnelly, Head of Global Equities at Davy, Susan Hayes Culleton, Managing Director, HayesCulleton Group, and Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Ifac were this week in front of the Oireachtas Budgetary Committee giving its view on how that windfall is being spent. The corporation tax receipts for November topped €10 billion, the highest figure ever generated in a single month, with the overall figure for the year expected to hit a record €32 billion.

Ifac argues that the Government is not saving enough of this bounty for a rainy day. Just 15 per cent of the projected €34 billion of corporation tax receipts for next year will effectively be squirreled away. That is just half the level of this year and was described as “risky” by Ifac.

This week Fiona Reddan was writing about 50-year mortgages and posed the question as to whether they might be a solution to help first-time buyers here get on the property ladder.

Donald Trump has described them as a potential “game changer”, but are they a good idea?

Joey Sheahan is head of credit at MyMortgages.ie and he joined Ciarán to outline whether 50-year mortgages were worth considering here.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Paul Mitchell, a chartered quantity surveyor and one of the authors of the Real Costs of New Apartment Delivery report, joins host Ciarán Hancock and Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times to drill down into the main findings of the report.

And despite the numerous Government interventions, the cost of building apartments has soared in recent years, but Paul Mitchell is adamant that this report is actually a good news story.

Produced by John with JJ Vernon on sound.

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A population surge means building more and better infrastructure for transport, water and housing has become increasingly urgent.

The Government unveiled a new plan this week. The Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce contains 30 actions and deadlines by which projects have to be completed.

This comes at a time when there are legal delays to the Greater Dublin Drainage project, and potentially to the capital’s MetroLink too.

To get some insight into whether a plan like this can address the key issues holding back delivery, host Cliff Taylor was joined on the line by taskforce member and Chairperson of IDA Ireland, Feargal O’Rourke.

Also in this episode, Irish Times Deputy Business Editor Dominic Coyle on the new pension auto-enrolment scheme 'My Future Fund' which begins on 1 January.

How many employees will be opted in? Are companies ready? What are the concerns of employer groups like Ibec? And are employers already gaming the system?

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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The episode starts with some recent good news, that the net wealth of Irish households is nearly €1.3 trillion, or an average of €228,000 each.

Sounds good but as Lorcan explains, this is an illusion. He argues that Ireland isn’t really a wealthy country in spite of what the statistics tell us.

Lorcan also touches on the housing crisis in its many forms and goes through some possible solutions. And he does have some solutions.

He also explains why he thinks judicial reviews of planning decisions haven’t caused the housing crisis.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Host Ciarán Hancock is joined on the podcast by Ciara O’Brien of the Irish Times to discuss why Amazon recently announced 14,000 job cuts globally as it seeks to trim expenses. Is this being driven solely by AI?

Well, in an update to staff in June, Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy stated the company would reduce jobs in some areas while it hired in others. And more AI would mean fewer corporate staff at Amazon, with the slack being picked up by generative AI and high-tech agents.

Separately, we have new research from hiring platform Greenhouse which suggests that AI has created a ‘doom loop’ between applicants and those who are hiring. Irish Times Work Correspondent Emmet Malone explains the issue, along with the new phenomenon of fake job postings.

Plus, Ciarán is joined in studio by Darryl Byrne, Chief Executive of Irish stock exchange operator Euronext Dublin, to discuss the future of the market here and a proposal he has put forward to introduce a future-focused SIA (Savings Investment Account).

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Born and raised in Dublin, Gary actually began his career in the civil service, with the Comptroller & Auditor General.

He studied at night to become an accountant and later moved into the private sector, rising up the ranks and moving around to eventually become CEO of Smurfit in 2002.

He has also had a busy career as a non-executive director, including roles with Anglo Irish Bank at the time of its collapse, and with bakery goods group Arytza, at a challenging time for that business.

We covered a lot of ground in this interview. You’ll hear Gary talk about his childhood, his time in school and a couple of false starts in university.

We also take a deep dive into his business careers, the highs and the lows. And he gives Ciarán his perspective on the current state of the Irish economy, and what we could be doing better. Along with some tips for young business leaders starting out in their careers.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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A minor in the Irish market, the company recently made a bold move offering cheap fibre broadband products along with a promise not to increase those prices for the next five years.

This is designed to double its customer base by 2030 as part of a multi-million investment in growing the business.

It’s a brave strategy given that Imagine has just 35,000 existing customers and big competitors such as Eir, Vodafone, Three and Virgin Media who control a large chunk of the market between them.

Niall explains how the offer will work and the business case behind it, as well as discussing the company’s Armenian owners and how he came to run a telco with a chequered history that was originally founded by the late Irish entrepreneur Sean Bolger.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Nephin owns 43 per cent of the Corrib gas field off the west coast of Ireland and also has ambitious plans to develop a network of agri-based biomethane plants across the country.

While gas is a polluting fuel it continues to be an important part of our energy mix.

Tom joins host Ciarán Hancock in studio to talk about the chances of extending the lifetime of the Corrib field, why biomethane is a potential win-win for the country, the future of offshore wind as a natural resource for Ireland, and whether gas prices are likely to go up or down over the next couple of years.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Neil Briscoe is a motoring expert and writes extensively on this for The Irish Times. And given his knowledge of motoring and our transition to EVs, were the findings a surprise to him?

In the second part of the podcast, host Ciarán Hancock speaks to Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times about an upgrade to Irish growth forecasts by stockbroker Goodbody and some research from Ibec on hybrid working, suggesting that employees are expected to attend the office on more days each week.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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He joined the State-owned operator almost three years ago after a long career with the Irish Aviation Authority and is charged with leading a company that now transports more than 160 million passengers a year.

He has a busy agenda, with challenges including difficulties in the recruitment of drivers and mechanics, traffic congestion, the switch to a fleet of EVs, and countering anti-social behaviour.

Billy also discusses how Dublin Bus was currently performing and whether the busy Christmas period was a positive or negative for the company.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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The €9.4 billion package includes a minimum wage increase of 65c to €14.15c per hour, a €10 across-the-board increase to core weekly welfare payments, but no once-offs like double child benefit payments and electricity credits.

On the panel:

Cliff Taylor, Managing Editor, The Irish Times

Frank O’Neill, Tax Partner, EY Ireland

Sean Collender, President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland

Ellen Coyne, Political Correspondent, The Irish Times

Produced by John Casey.

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He has submitted a proposal to the Department of Finance ahead of Tuesday’s budget requesting €4m annually, rising to €8m after two years to be spread across Ireland’s 26 soccer academies.

Mr Scanlon said the system in Ireland remains heavily reliant on volunteers, stunting the sport’s growth despite years of strong audiences and revenues.

His plan includes three new full-time roles directing academy soccer across Ireland.

On today’s podcast Ciarán Hancock is joined by Mr Scanlon and Irish Times Soccer Correspondent Gavin Cummiskey.

Produced by Declan Conlon and Andrew McNair, with JJ Vernon on sound. 

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Dublin is now part of a growing roster of cities outside the United States hosting lucrative NFL games.

Irishman Paul Holland has worked in the sports marketing industry for many years and has charted the financial rise of the NFL and how it dwarfs other sports.

He joined host Ciarán Hancock in studio to discuss the financial impact of this game coming to Dublin.

Plus, last week Donald Trump surprised us all by slapping a $100,000 fee on a key foreign worker visa used by Big Tech companies in Silicon Valley.

Colin Gleeson covered the story and joined Ciarán in studio to discuss its implications for Big Tech firms and for Irish workers based in Silicon Valley.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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The Irish Times reported yesterday that a deal has been agreed between the two sides that will see Jacobs leave his role early with a €1m exit package.

Joe Brennan and Martin Wall of The Irish Times have been covering the story and joined host Ciarán Hancock in studio to discuss the background to the rift.

Also on the podcast, Conor Pope, Irish Times Consumer Affairs Correspondent, discusses new research from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, which shows that one in four Irish adults have no financial arrangements in place for their retirement.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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The one-off cost-of-living measures of recent budgets may be discontinued, but what will be in their place to help families feeling the pinch? Will there be tax cuts? And what can renters and those looking to buy a home expect?

Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times joined host Ciarán Hancock in studio to discuss.

Plus, the three main Irish banks this week launched Zippay, an instant payments feature that they hope will launch next year. But will it be enough to win the battle with Revolut for Irish people’s digital wallets, especially as Revolut already has 3m Irish customers.

Irish digital banking expert and CEO at InclusionFS, Brian Carroll, has helped to launch neobanks in a number of countries and he joined Ciarán on the line to discuss the timing of the launch and whether the Irish banks can beat Revolut at their own game.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon.

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This is despite an explosion in the popularity of craft beers here in the last decade.

What costs are forcing some operators out of business? How are they coping with competition from far larger, commercial breweries? And will these increasing costs be passed onto consumers?

To get into all this, host Cliff Taylor was joined by Irish Times Business Reporter Hugh Dooley and founder and chief executive of the Carlow Brewing Company, Seamus O’Hara.

Plus, it’s a deal decades in the making and would seem to make sense in the context of the aggressive tariffs imposed on the EU and Latin American countries by Donald Trump.

And the expectation is that the EU Commission will try to ratify the Mercosur trade deal despite push back from several EU countries, not least Ireland.

But why is the trade deal so divisive and what impact could it have here if it goes ahead?

Irish Times acting Europe Correspondent Jack Power joined Cliff on the line from Brussels.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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So why are vital projects so slow to get over the line? How does Government prioritise one project over another? And what can be done to streamline the planning process?

To get into the causes and some potential solutions to these issues, host Cliff Taylor was joined by chair of the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council Frances Ruane.

And from air fryers and skiing gear in the middle isle, to expanding into manufacturing and shipping, Lidl, part of the Schwarz Group, has evolved hugely from its early days of obsessive penny-pinching efficiency and prices written in pencil.

In part two of this week’s Inside Business, Irish Times Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally joined Cliff on the line to discuss how this evolution and success has been achieved, and the influence of, among other things, Irish consumer habits.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Host Ciarán Hancock is joined in studio by Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times to talk about how rich we all are, or not as the case may be, and the measures that ruled Ireland out of consideration.

Also on Inside Business this week, Conor Pope of The Irish Times discusses the companies that consumers complain about the most to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

Who are they? What are the most common complaints? And how much out of pocket are consumers as a result of their bad experiences?

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Not so said the industry, while acknowledging that the market was a bit soft compared with the past two years of trading.

Joining host Ciarán Hancock in studio to discuss this is Paul Gallagher, chief executive of the Irish Hotels Federation and Sean O’Driscoll, chief executive of iNua hotels, one of the biggest hospitality groups in the country.

They tease out the issue of the 9% Vat rate, with some strong criticisms of the Department of Finance from Sean.

They also talk about the slow death of food and beverage in the country, the Dublin airport passenger cap, AI’s increasing use in the business and hotel prices around the Oasis concerts.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Siobhan Maguire is a contributor to The Irish Times and wrote an excellent piece this week on this hot topic.

She joins host Ciarán Hancock on the line to go through the many ways influencers expose themselves to tax liability as outlined in a new guide issued by Revenue.

Is there such thing as a free dinner for influencers and what part does non-monetary compensation play?

Also on this episode, Ciarán speaks to young Dublin entrepreneur Luke Joyce about setting up Ireland’s first online subscription window cleaning service.

Luke grew up on a farm in Saggart, Co Dublin, did entrepreneurship at Maynooth University and then set up Thecleaningcompany.ie. The company has gone from strength to strength since it was established in 2019 with projected turnover of €2.5m for this year.

His success cleaning windows recently spurred him into launching new businesses painting houses and doing general maintenance work.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Also, ahead of Budget 2026 John outlines the need for the Government to stop pumping money into a booming economy and focus on making space for much-needed infrastructure. He feels we are inflating the economy when we should be cutting expenditure or raising taxes, neither of which would be politically popular.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. 

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In parallel it also set out its stall for this year’s budget, signalling a spending and tax package of €9.5 billion.

Joining host Ciarán Hancock in studio to dissect these spending plans and tax cuts against a backdrop of a potential trade war between the US and the EU were Ellen Coyne, political correspondent of The Irish Times, Ferga Kane, EY Ireland’s strategy and transactions team lead, and Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times.

They tease out the headline numbers in the National Development Plan, the areas being targeted over the next five years, and the likely impact on future foreign investment.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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He suggested tax breaks and other measures to breathe new life back into the capital and to get more people living in the city centre. He joined host Ciarán Hancock to discuss his ideas and how we can learn from the mistakes of the not-too-distant past.

Plus, it’s been another busy week on the tariff front with US President Donald Trump sending a letter to the EU threatening higher taxes on European imports into America.

Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times has been covering this story and he joined Ciarán to talk through the contents of the letter, potential consequences for Ireland and whether this is yet another ploy by Donald Trump in this drawn-out negotiation with the EU.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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This week we’re looking at the Juggle that women with young children have to make in Ireland to find a work-life balance.

It’s an age-old problem in Ireland with no solution yet in sight. Margaret Ward writes about Work issues each week for the Irish Times as well as running her own consultancy business Clear Eye and she’s written a series of articles on the Juggle in recent weeks.

Aideen Finnegan is an audio producer with The Irish Times and the host of the Better with Money podcast. She has two young children, and you’ll hear her tell host Ciarán Hancock about the daily grind she and her husband face to get their kids to creche and school while also commuting to work to earn a living.

Both of them offer their clear views on what Government and employers need to do to help young mothers balance their responsibilities at home and in the workplace.

Also in this episode of Inside Business, Donald Trump recently got his Big Beautiful Act through Congress, which allows for major cuts in taxation while boosting spending in key areas to support his policies. It will also involve cuts in Medicaid and other assistance offered to the most vulnerable in the US.

Keith Duggan joins host Ciarán Hancock on the line from Washington to discuss this and the latest developments in Trump’s tariff threats.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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How does the tax break work? What impact will it have on land prices? And is anything being done to change it?

Fiona Reddan of the Irish Times wrote a brilliant article on this last week and she joins host Ciarán Hancock in studio, along with Marty Murphy, who is head of tax at IFAC Ireland, one of the country’s biggest accounting firms with a large number of farmers on its books.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Willie will be known to you as the Irish man who was a high-profile chief executive of both Aer Lingus and British Airways.

He then became head of IAG, which is the parent group to both of those airlines plus some Spanish carriers, including Iberia.

He’s now in charge of IATA, with his contract set to run until 2027.

You’ll hear Willie talk about airline profits and whether air fares are likely to go up or down in the near term.

He spoke about aviation’s role in reducing harmful carbon emissions and the chances of a climate-friendly biofuel being developed for commercial use.

He gives his view on why emerging markets such as India and burgeoning economies in Africa are entitled to grow their airline industries and passenger traffic as they become wealthier.

He also expresses his frustrations with the inefficient way air traffic control is managed in Europe.

And Willie explains why, in his view, Ireland has become something of a laughing stock on the international stage over the legal battles being fought around the Dublin Airport passenger cap. In his view, this is hindering growth here and jeopardising foreign direct investment. 

And the 63-year-old talks about his plans for retirement, which could include Italian wine. 

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Its founder and chief executive is Bobby Healy, who joined host Ciarán Hancock in studio to discuss what he believes is Manna’s massive growth potential.

Set up in 2019, Manna only recently began generating revenues and is yet to turn a profit. It is currently flying nine drones in Dublin 15 and has made more than 170,000 deliveries in Ireland so far.

It has another eight drones operating outside Ireland. 

But that is just the tip of the iceberg.

You’ll hear Bobby’s ambitious plans for expansion into the United States and the Nordic countries and how it would need 45,000 drones just to serve the UK market.

And he wants to manufacture all of those drones in Ireland.

It’s a cash hungry company with plans to raise many millions of dollars from investors but Healy is thinking big and believes Manna can become Ireland’s biggest corporate success story.

Of course, not everyone is delighted by having drone deliveries in their areas and Healy addresses some of those complaints in the interview.

An engaging entrepreneur, Healy has previously sold three travel tech companies. So, he has form in this space.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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• RPZ reform: will changes to rules for landlords and tenants help bring investment to Ireland
• IFAC report: why Ireland's corporate tax receipts may be about to boom again. But will it last?

Produced in association with EY.

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How should they react? Should they react at all? And what is the outlook for the rest of this year?

Munro O’Dwyer is a partner at PwC Ireland and joins host Cliff Taylor in studio to discuss managing your pension in volatile times.

In the second half of this episode of Inside Business, Irish Times Economics Correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy looks at why so many companies are pulling back from their pledge to go green and lower carbon emissions.

This alarming trend is worrying given the latest analysis by the Environmental Protection Agency that shows that Ireland is going backwards in its attempts to achieve its 2030 greenhouse gas emissions targets.

So why the about-face on an issue that affects us all? Is reaching net zero emissions simply not realistic for many companies?

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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A reduction in the SEAI grant and gaps in charging infrastructure fed into consumer uncertainty when it comes to making the switch from petrol and diesel vehicles.

But that trend looks to be reversing this year, something that Lisa Brankin, chairman and managing director of Ford UK & Ireland, will be keen to see accelerate.

She joined host Cliff Taylor in studio to discuss the challenges of going electric, her plans for the company’s future, and the launch of Ford Power Promise across Ford’s range of electric cars in Ireland.

Also on this week’s episode of Inside Business, AIB’s Economic Outlook Report for May highlights how global uncertainty and an escalation in trade tariffs could lead to a slowdown in global and Irish growth in 2025 and 2026.

That said, the report also points out that the Irish economy has built up a certain level of resilience to withstand a potential trade shock in the short term.

AIB Chief Economist David McNamara went through the risk US tariffs and future US tax policy pose, and the outlook for 2025 and 2026.

Produced by John Casey and Suzanne Brennan with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Figures from both the CSO and property website Daft.ie suggest that house prices and rents continue to soar across the country.

The national monthly average rent between January and March surpassed €2,000 for the first time. And the chronic shortage of supply for those looking to buy put house price inflation at 7.5% in March.

To discuss these numbers and to tease out some potential solutions to the housing crisis, host Ciarán Hancock was joined by Eoin Burke Kennedy, economics correspondent of The Irish Times who has reported on the data.

And by Marian Finnegan, an economist and a senior executive at Sherry Fitzgerald, Ireland’s biggest estate agent.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Fans of the popular BBC show The Apprentice, will have seen Jordan come within a whisker of reaching the final two who got to pitch to secure Lord Sugar’s £250,000 investment.

There was some consolation for the 22-year-old Dubliner with Lord Sugar giving him his business card before he left the boardroom and encouraging him to keep in touch.

Jordan joined host Ciarán Hancock in studio to detail his experience on the Apprentice, how the business he pitched to Lord Sugar has developed since recording finished last year, and offers he has received here to pursue a career in media.

Earlier this week, US president Donald Trump pressed for drug companies to invest more in the United States and to lower their prices for medicines.

So, what would that mean for the Irish pharma sector, which exports a huge amount of medicines to the US each year.

Dominic Coyle of The Irish Times has covered the story and goes through Trump’s proposals and the possible implications for Irish pharma.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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The deal is valued at £2.9 billion and will pit the merged group in competition with other online delivery platforms such as Just Eat and Uber Eats.

Callum Cant is an author and senior lecturer from the University of Essex and also worked for Deliveroo while he was in college.

He joined host Ciarán Hancock on the line to discuss the merger and what it might mean for Deliveroo’s battalion of gig economy workers and for retailers using the online ordering platform.

Also on this week’s Inside Business, the Department of Finance’s annual progress report on the Irish economy, a document that informs budgetary strategy and is filed with the European Commission.

This week it brought news of a slowdown in growth, reduced job creation and a significant fall in corporation tax receipts.

Eoin Burke-Kennedy covered the story for The Irish Times and explained the headline numbers in the report and what impact Trump’s tariffs will have on Irish economic growth this year.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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The sweeping US tariffs announced on April 2nd rocked equity and bond markets.

They plunged in value to such an extent that Donald Trump was forced into a quick U Turn, postponing all of the tariffs for 90 days, with the exception of China.

Aidan Donnelly is Head of Global Equities at Davy stockbrokers and joined host Ciarán Hancock in studio to consider the impact of those tariffs and to offer a view on where markets might go for the rest of the year.

In the second half of the show, Hugh Linehan of The Irish Times will reflect on the terms being offered in RTÉ’s latest voluntary exit programme for staff in an effort to help the broadcaster reduce its headcount by 400 over the next four years.

The funding for this restructuring has essentially been provided by the State via a €725 million three-year funding plan agreed last year with the Government.

In a column in The Irish Times this week, Hugh Linehan of The Irish Times examined the plan and asked the question as to whether RTÉ was in a worse position than other media companies in Ireland?

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Situated beside the Merrion Hotel in central Dublin, Restaurant Patrick Guilbaud continues to thrive with two Michelin stars.

Guilbaud moved to Ireland in the early 1980’s when the country was in recession, and it wasn’t always plain sailing. A visit from the sheriff for unpaid debts led to a partnership with successful businessmen Lochlann Quinn and Martin Naughton that helped put the restaurant on a sound financial footing. It also led him to relocate the restaurant to the Merrion Hotel site which was developed by Quinn and Naughton. A move that he considers to be the making of the business.

In February Guilbaud received the Distinguished Leader in Business award at the Irish Times Business Awards.

In this interview with host Ciarán Hancock he discusses those difficult early days of trading, changes in the Irish restaurant trade over the past four decades, the current challenges facing the sector in terms of cost, and his plans for retirement.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Earlier today, its parent company Ornua announced that revenues last year were flat at €3.4 billion but its operating profit and Ebitda were up, helped by efficiencies achieved during the period.

But that was last year. Before Donald Trump won the US presidential election and later announced sweeping tariffs on all imported goods.

Kerrygold is one of the main Irish food brands facing a hit from Trump’s tariffs, which are currently set at 10 per cent for 90 days but could ultimately rise to 20 per cent.

Conor Galvin is chief executive of Ornua and he joined me in studio to discuss the impact the 10 per cent tariff is currently having on Kerrygold sales in US retail.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Donald’s Trump’s tariffs took effect last night with the EU due to vote today on a retaliatory list drawn up by the European Commission.

The US and China meanwhile have engaged in tit for tat tariffs in the past few days. China has also vowed to fight to the end in the tariff war.

What will all this mean for Ireland? What hit will consumers face?

And should Ireland now pivot east to protect jobs and secure new investment?

To answer these and other questions host Ciarán Hancock Is joined on this week’s episode of Inside Business by Ibec chief executive Danny McCoy, Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times, and Chris Smyth, group CEO at Perennial Freight & president of the France-Ireland Chamber of Commerce.

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This continued a trend dating back to last September.

In this week’s episode of Inside Business, you’ll hear conflicting views from the trade on the current state of the tourism sector here.

Eoghan O’Mara Walsh, CEO of the Irish Tourist Industry Confederation, tells host Ciarán Hancock why he thinks the CSO figures might be overstating the current position within the sector.

Whereas Sean Connick, who operates the Dunbrody Famine Ship Experience and the Kennedy Homestead in Co Wexford, is seeing a different picture with visitor numbers to those experiences declining last year with January and February also soft.

In addition, he has had to absorb significant increases in their running costs.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. 

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Sales in Europe have slumped while its share price has shed 24 per cent of its value year to date. That amounts to about $800 billion of market value being wiped out.

In addition, there have been many protests and reports of Tesla’s being vandalised.

To add to the mix, Chinese rivals have also upped their game.

Neil Briscoe is a motoring journalist and writes for the Irish Times. He’s been covering Tesla since the get-go and joined host Ciarán Hancock on the line to discuss the issues affecting the company.

Also on the show, Eoin Burke Kennedy, economics correspondent of The Irish Times, discusses new data on house prices from Daft.ie after it published its latest quarterly report. It doesn’t paint a pretty picture for anyone seeking to buy a home, with house price pressure reaching an eight-year high and the number of second-hand properties available for sale at lowest level since 2007.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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What are reciprocal tariffs and how will Ireland be affected? Will we be singled out?

What is coming down the line in terms of ‘special tariffs’, and their potential impact on big exports from Ireland to the US? And what possible options are available to Irish companies to soften the blow of all this uncertainty?

Gerard Brady, Head of National Policy and Chief Economist at Ibec, joined the podcast to give a timeline of all upcoming tariffs and what they mean.

And this week saw the much-anticipated arrival of Amazon.ie, a dedicated Irish platform for the retail behemoth – a move that will be welcomed by most online shoppers in Ireland with the prospect of more product choice and better value. But what about retailers who will have to go toe-to-toe with Amazon here?

Irish Times Consumer Affairs Correspondent Conor Pope joined host Cliff Taylor in studio to outline what Irish consumers can expect.

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Last month he was chosen as Irish Times business person of the year for successfully concluding a combination of Smurfit Kappa Group with American company WestRock in a $24 billion deal. The Dublin-based company is now the leading player in its sector.

Grandson of the company’s original founding father Jefferson Smurfit, and son of Michael Smurfit who grew the company to become Ireland’s first multinational, Tony has led the business since 2015.

During this episode Tony discusses the impact of the WestRock deal on the group over the past nine months, the threat posed by Donald Trump’s tariffs, the special challenges of working for a company where your name is above the door, and his plan to make Smurfit WestRock the best company in the world.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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BWG is a wholesale group at heart that supplies groceries to a large network of shops in Ireland and the southwest of England under a variety of retail brands, including Spar, Eurospar, Mace and Londis.

Leo will recall the boom times of the Celtic Tiger years, through a couple of management-led buyouts, to almost losing control of the business post the 2008 crash.

BWG ultimately bounced back to become the €2 billion a year business that it is today.

He also has some tips for young business leaders and entrepreneurs, you’ll hear him compare retailing in Ireland and the UK and prices on both sides of the Irish sea, and talk about the growing levels of shop lifting and abuse targeted against small retailers and how these might be tackled.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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The pub group is jointly owned by former Irish rugby internationals Rob Kearney, his brother David, Jamie Heaslip and Sean O’Brien.

They own the Bridge bar in Ballsbridge, the Blackrock pub in the Dublin coastal suburb, the Lemon & Duke and Little Lemon in the city centre and its most recent purchase, McSorley’s in Ranelagh.

Noel is also a shareholder in the Changing Times Brewery set up by a group of leading Irish publicans to produce a range of local stouts and other beers.

Noel’s career in the pub trade began as a teenager and has involved a number of highs and lows. This included allegations of money laundering at one of his former venues, which yielded a financial settlement but only after years of legal wrangling. He talks to me about that extraordinary case, along with the current challenges of running pubs in Ireland and securing insurance against Covid lockdowns just weeks before the pandemic hit here.

We also discuss the rising price of a pint and taking on Guinness in the stout market, and why he feels Dublin city centre needs an extra 1000 Gardai on the street to counter anti-social behaviour.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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The financial details weren’t revealed but it is understood that the price tag on the deal was €45 million.

Founded in 2013 by Karl Brophy, the company was chaired by Gavin O’Reilly, son of Tony O’Reilly and a former chief executive of Independent News & Media.

Karl joins host Ciarán Hancock on this episode of the Inside Business podcast to discuss his career that began as a Fine Gael press officer before stints covering politics for the Daily Mirror and the Irish Examiner.

He later went to work as a journalist and editor with INM, including a six-year stint editing an edgy tabloid title in South Africa.

In January 2011 he was appointed as Director of Corporate Affairs and Content Development at INM, reporting to Gavin O’Reilly.

It was a turbulent period in the history of the company, with a well-publicised battle for control of the business between the O’Reilly family and Denis O’Brien, who became a major shareholder.

Karl left INM in October 2012, setting up Red Flag just months later.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Would these measures make rents more affordable for tenants? Or boost the supply of affordable new homes?

To tease out this tricky political issue, Inside Business host Ciarán Hancock was joined in studio by Dublin-based estate agent Owen Reilly and on the line by Michelle Norris, who is director of the Geary Institute for Public Policy at UCD and was a member of the Housing Commission.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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After last-minute negotiations on Monday, hefty tariffs for Canada and Mexico were suspended for 30 days. China then saw a 10% duty imposed on their imports into the US and retaliated soon after with their own tariffs on US energy and vehicles.

The EU is also in Donald Trump’s sights, but it is unclear as to what kind of concessions he will want. Ireland is quite exposed in all this as bilateral trade with the US is hugely important - what could this all mean for our main exports and our country’s foreign direct investment?

To get into the potential ramifications for Ireland and the wider global economy, host Cliff Taylor is joined by Irish Times Economic Correspondent, Eoin Burke-Kennedy, Irish Times China Correspondent, Denis Staunton and Professor of International Politics at the Clinton Institute in UCD, Scott Lucas.

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So, who is behind DeepSeek? And what is the future for the huge valuations on Big Tech and data centre stocks in the US and Europe?

For some insight on this, host Ciarán Hancock was joined by Ciara O’Brien of the Irish Times and Aidan Donnelly, head of Global equities at Davy.

Earlier this week, the State sold another 5 per cent of its holding in AIB. This reduced taxpayers’ holdings to 12.5 per cent in the Irish lender, which was bailed out by the State post the 2008 financial crash.

Why has the State decided to sell more shares in AIB? What do we know of Paschal Donohoe’s plan for the remaining 12.5 per cent stake? What about the cap on pay and bonuses? Joe Brennan of the Irish Times covered the story and joined us on the line to explain.

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And Laura Slattery of the Irish Times talks us through the findings of a survey from Dublin Chamber which shows how the childcare crisis is limiting the ability of companies to recruit and retain staff, especially women, with a fifth of all companies describing it as the primary barrier to doing so.

Plus, the World Economic Forum kicked off on Monday in the Swiss resort of Davos with many leading business and political leaders assembling to discuss the big global issues of the day.

It’s fair to say that Donald Trump’s return to the White House overshadowed all of that. The new US president hit the ground running, issuing more than 100 executive orders on his first day in office and pulling the US from the OECD’s global corporate tax deal.

That deal is very important to Ireland and could put us on a collision course with Trump’s new administration.

Irish Times Economics Correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy joins Ciarán on the line from Davos to go through the event’s main talking points thus far.

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The scheme had first been proposed in 2021 by Hammerson and Allianz who between them owned the land. In a rejection letter the board was strong in its language noting the excessive density, height and scale, together with its “monolithic appearance”. And that it would have had an overbearing impact on neighbouring residential properties.

This decision prompted Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times to write a column on the issue and its relevance to the housing crisis here. He joins host Ciarán Hancock on this week’s episode of Inside Business.

Also joining the show is Tom Phillips, an experienced planning consultant who has been involved in a number of large development applications, but not the one for Dundrum. He gives his thoughts on how the planning system works, the role of planning consultants, and the contradictions in the current system that are holding us back as we seek to break the log jam of the housing crisis.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Neil Briscoe writes extensively about motoring for the Irish Times and he joined host Ciarán Hancock on the line to go through some of the affordable options for those looking to buy, and explain why sales of EVs went into reverse last year.

In part two of the podcast, we hear from Conor Hanley, chief executive and president of Fire1, an Irish MedTech company that this week raised $120million to fund final clinical stage trials in the US for a device which helps monitor heart failure. He joined Ciarán in studio to explain why he thinks the technology is a major breakthrough for the many millions of people who suffer from this potentially life-threatening condition.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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The panel comprises Feargal O’Rourke, the former PwC managing partner, who now wears many corporate hats, including as chairman of IDA Ireland, Marian Finnegan is Managing Director of Residential at Sherry Fitzgerald, the country’s biggest firm of estate agents, while Chris Horn is a tech entrepreneur and columnist at the Irish Times.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Produced by John Casey.

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On this week’s episode of Inside Business, host Ciarán Hancock is joined by Vanessa Murphy, co-owner of Las Tapas de lola on Camden Street in Dublin’s city centre, and Aisling Rogerson, owner of the popular Fumbally café and bakery in Dublin’s Liberties. They discuss their trading struggles post-Covid, rising prices and menu changes, the challenges of recruiting and retaining staff, and how they have changed their trading hours to reflect the altered dining habits of customers.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. 

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To review the year, host Ciarán Hancock iss joined by Eoin Burke-Kennedy, Conor Pope and Ian Curran of The Irish Times to discuss issues around housing, the cost of living crisis, the €13 billion Apple tax ruling, and the demise of many restaurants and cafes.

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Louisa discusses the pivot Books Upstairs made towards online sales during the early days of Covid, the titles that have flown off the shelves this year, competing with Amazon and what the government could do better to protect small independent businesses operating in the city.

Laura and Clare from Irish Design Shop explain the challenges of starting a business in the teeth of the financial crash in late 2008, stocking products from over 60 Irish designers in its Drury Street shop, soaring tourist trade and why so many online orders are now coming from suburban Dublin.

All three guests highlight the surge in shoplifting and why it is so difficult to combat.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Max Colchester, Britain Correspondent for the Wall Street Journal, has been writing about this following his recent visit to Dublin. He notes how other governments around Europe are struggling and raising taxes while we have set up two sovereign wealth funds to make good use of the billions in corporate tax receipts that continue to roll in – something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by Donald Trump’s pick for Commerce Secretary, Howard Lutnick.

He joins host Cliff Taylor to discuss the envious position Ireland finds itself in.

Also on this episode, Irish Times Consumer Affairs Correspondent Conor Pope digs into whether the onslaught of advertised bargains for Black Friday are as good as they sound.

Why do sales now start weeks before Black Friday? Can I get the same bargains during the year? And does buyer’s remorse and this annual event go hand in hand?

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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September proved to be a record month for Irish exports, as well as a record level of exports going to the US. This underlines the importance of a market that could be jeopardised if the president-elect follows through on his promise to introduce blanket tariffs on goods entering the US.

Carol Lynch is customs and trade partner with BDO Ireland and she joined host Cliff Taylor to give some insight into what those tariffs could do to the Republic’s largest export market outside of the EU, and how Irish companies have already started preparations to manage those impacts.

Cathal Foley and his company PACE won the sustainability and overall prize at the 2024 Irish Times Innovation awards.

PACE stands for Platform for Analysing Carbon Emissions, specifically airline carbon emissions. The aviation sector has set an ambitious target of net zero emissions by 2050, something that is likely to cost around five trillion dollars. Cathal explained how PACE aims to help the sector achieve that target.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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In the past week, the US stock market has surged following Donald’s Trump’s election victory. Donnacha Fox is chief investment officer at Quilter Cheviot and joined Ciarán in studio to explain why US stocks and crypto have spiked since it became clear that Trump was heading back to the White House.

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Host Ciarán Hancock is joined by Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times to get his view on how bad a Trump presidency could be for Ireland.

Also on the show, Conor Pope of The Irish Times explains why being single can cost you more than €300,000 over and above what a person in a couple will pay over the course of their adults lives, taking into account areas like housing, groceries, and taxes.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Imagine if Michael O’Leary decided to set up a development company to build housing and applied some of the lessons from Ryanair’s experience in disrupting the air travel business over the past three decades.

It’s a point that Irish Times economics correspondent Eoin Burke Kennedy posited in a column earlier this week. Could a no-frills approach reduce construction costs that could in turn be passed on to home buyers?

Paul Mitchell, director of construction consultancy Mitchell McDermott and an expert on construction costs, also joins the podcast to give his thoughts on potential solutions to ease the housing crisis in the coming years. Mitchell McDermott recently produced a cost study report on behalf of the Department of Housing, contained in which is the eye-watering figure of €600,000 now necessary to build a two-bedroom urban apartment.

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He joins Inside Business host Ciarán Hancock to explain why more data centres need to be built here, despite the large amount of electricity and water necessary to run them and the relatively small amount of people employed by them.

Also on the podcast, Eoin Burke Kennedy of The Irish Times outlines five key battlegrounds in the upcoming general election, which we now know will be held this year. He cites housing, spending overruns, the cost-of-living crisis, interest rates, and business failures.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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On Tuesday, hundreds of hospitality, tourism, retail, and other small business owners protested in Dublin outside Leinster House about the increasing costs of doing business here, with many of those costs being Government imposed. The Restaurant Association of Ireland was one of the groups that organised that protest, and its CEO Adrian Cummins joins Inside Business host Ciarán Hancock to discuss the key issues raised at the protest, while Eoin Burke Kennedy of The Irish Times explains the backdrop to Alias Tom’s winding up this week.

At the end of last month, the Government announced that the much talked about auto enrolment private sector pension scheme would finally come into effect in September 2025.

A report in the Irish Independent suggested there could be a tax sting in the tail for those workers, following the release of the Finance Bill last week. Dominic Coyle, The Irish Times resident pensions expert, outlines what’s being proposed in the Finance Bill for auto enrolment.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Inside Business host Ciarán Hancock is joined by Ken Tyrrell, business recovery partner at PwC Ireland, to go through their research and get a handle on how many more insolvencies are potentially in the pipeline as we head towards 2025.

Also on this week’s episode, Irish Times Work Correspondent Emmet Malone talks us through two industrial disputes affecting some big-name multinationals here with members of trade union Connect deferring a 24-hour work stoppage at a Meta data centre in Clonee on Monday. And separately, Unite trade union has warned of more pickets being placed on selected large construction sites around the country after strikes at an Intel site in Kildare.

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The €10.5 billion package has a range of measures, including the threshold for higher income tax rate rising to €44,000, the minimum wage gets an 80 cent bump to €13.50 an hour, the USC rate will be cut to three per cent, income credits will increase by €125, and a €12 weekly increase to welfare and pension payments.

On the panel:

Michael Rooney, EY Ireland Tax Partner

Elaine Dunne, chairperson of the Federation of Early Childhood providers

Cliff Taylor, Irish Times Managing Editor

Jenifer Bray, Irish Times Political Correspondent

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Conall Mac Coille is author of the bulletin, and while he points to lack of supply and wage growth as factors driving house price inflation, he notes that we might be experiencing a peak at the moment. He also gives his thoughts ahead of next week’s budget and whether Ireland is insulated from the economic woes affecting Britain, Germany and the wider EU bloc.

Also on this episode, we hear from HR expert Louisa Meehan about return to the office trends in the wake of Amazon’s recent decision to order staff back to the workplace five days a week.

Is that likely to become a trend here? And is working from home potentially detrimental for younger employees at the outset of their careers?

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And in terms of the funding needed to address those three areas, McCoy warned against a long-term reliance on the current corporate tax bonanza, he instead suggested more taxation on the individual, a move he knows would be politically unpopular. And what about the €13 billion of Apple tax? Ibec’s chief suggested that Ireland could take the noble step of giving it to poorer countries who really need it.

Also on this episode, Irish Times Soccer Correspondent Gavin Cummiskey on the continuing financial struggles of the Football Association of Ireland as it finds itself still tens of millions in debt. Where does it leave League of Ireland clubs and emerging talent in a week where Dundalk FC had a near-death experience?

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Joe Brennan has covered this saga over the past decade and joined host Ciarán Hancock on the line to discuss the story. What is the background to the case? How is the money likely to be spent? Will this impact foreign direct investment here?

Also on this week’s episode, we hear from Claire Nash who opened Nash 19 restaurant in 1992, going on a rollercoaster ride along with the ups and downs of the Irish economy. In January she pulled down the shutters after a succession of blows dealt by the pandemic, soaring inflation and the cost-of-living crisis. She discusses her reasons for closing, explains why a cup of coffee should really be costing €8 or €9 a pop, and offers her take on how the hospitality sector might be rescued via Government initiatives.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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John McCartney is head of research at BNP Paribas Real Estate and follows the market closely. He joined host Ciarán Hancock in studio to discuss the latest moves in the commercial property market. He began by giving some context to what’s happening in the market in terms of valuations and how private equity firms and the banks are currently viewing their exposures.

In part two of this week’s episode of Inside Business we hear how a new survey from recruiter IrishJobs noted how AI is increasingly being used in hiring processes. This is happening on both sides of the equation, with candidates using it for their CVs and covering letters and by employers to sift through applications.

Ian Curran of The Irish Times reported on the survey and joined us on the line.

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But is this justified? Does it simply improve the lot of the better off in society?

Or are there real anomalies that need to be addressed?

For some insight on this, host Cliff Taylor was joined by Deputy Business Editor of the Irish Times, Dominic Coyle.

In the second half of the show, Munro O’Dwyer, a partner with PwC Ireland, discusses potential changes to the current pension regime for high earners. PwC published a document earlier this week that points out some issues with the current €2 million standard fund threshold for pensions, something they want to see changed in the budget. 

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The supply of second-hand properties for sale in Ireland has fallen by almost a third since the pandemic, according to Sherry Fitz figures.

And it found that annual house price inflation was running at 5.5 per cent for the 12 months to the end of June, up from 3.4 per cent at the same time last year.

Figures from the CSO last week told a similar story.

On this episode of Inside Business, host Ciarán Hancock picks through the latest data points with Marian Finnegan, managing director of Sherry Fitzgerald, and Eoin Burke Kennedy, economics correspondent with The Irish Times.

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And what of the broader picture for EV usage here, how do we compare to other countries and is charging infrastructure keeping pace? Brian Caulfield, Professor in Transportation & Head of Department at Trinity College Dublin gives his thoughts.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. This episode was originally published in February 2024.

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One company that was directly in the firing line was Moriarty’s a family run craft shop and restaurant in the Gap of Dunloe in Kerry that was largely dependent on American visitors for its business.

The company survived this near-death experience by becoming one of the first SMEs in Ireland to use a new small company rescue process called Scarp, introduced by the Government at the end of 2021.

Having wiped out substantial debts, Moriarty’s is once again thriving, and looking to expand its business beyond the Gap of Dunloe.

Denis Pio Moriarty is a son of the founders and runs the business with other family members. He joined host Ciarán Hancock in studio to tell his company’s story of surviving the pandemic.

He began by recalling Moriarty’s early days, from its opening in 1964 and its growth story up to when the pandemic hit in early 2020.

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Also on the podcast this week, Revolut recently announced its intention to offer mortgages in the Irish market. But there has also been a growing number of complaints about the digital bank from customers who have had their accounts scammed and have run into a brick wall with Revolut in terms of getting the issue resolved.

Brendan Burgess is a consumer advocate and runs the website Askaboutmoney.com, we began by asking him for his view on whether Revolut offering home loans would shake up an Irish mortgage market dominated by AIB and Bank of Ireland.

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Barry O’Halloran of The Irish Times and Davy equity analyst Stephen Furlong joined host Ciarán Hancock in studio to discuss those and other developments in the aviation sector this week.

In the second part of this episode, Eoin Burke Kennedy, economics correspondent of The Irish Times, discusses the tax strategy papers released by the Department of Finance on Tuesday, which will help inform policy in October’s budget. They include proposals to introduce congestion charging for motorists and to require people to report inheritances and gifts to Revenue if it exceeds €3000 in value.

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So, how is the hospitality sector in Ireland doing given it is peak tourism season and Covid is a distant memory?

Host Ciarán Hancock is joined by an expert panel, with Eoghan O’Mara Walsh, chief executive of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation, Paul Donnellan, Head Chef and Owner of Gemelle’s Restaurant in Galway, and Paul Gallagher, General Manager of Buswells Hotel in Dublin.

Paul Donnellan explains why half of his restaurant in Galway city is currently mothballed, while Paul Gallagher outlines the financial hit to Buswells Hotel from recent Aer Lingus flight cancellations and the empty rooms it was left with on the first night of Taylor Swift concerts in Dublin at the end of June. But this episode begins with Eoghan O’Mara Walsh explaining why the industry was once again asking Government to restore the 9 per cent VAT rate.

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In turn, this has fuelled speculation of an early general election in November.

On this week’s episode of Inside Business, Eoin Burke-Kennedy and Cliff Taylor join Ciarán Hancock to go through the headline numbers in the statement and how the €8.3 billion breaks down.

In the second half, we hear from Martin Muller, professor of geography and sustainability at the University of Lausanne in Switzerland. He’s been crunching the numbers on the costs and payback for host cities for big events such as the Olympic Games, and following many years of preparation, billions spent on facilities and new infrastructure and the promise of an economic bounty, is Paris set to benefit from playing host to this year’s games?

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Fiona Reddan profiles the typical Irish house buyer in the market. How old are they? Where are they buying? What kind of salary are they earning and how big a part does the ‘Bank of Mum and Dad’ play?

Eoin Burke-Kennedy explains why there are so many differing views in the market as to how many houses we need to build to meet annual demand. Will 50,000 suffice, or should it be as high as 85,000?

And Joe Brennan discusses plans by digital bank Revolut to offer mortgages in the Irish market from next year. A move that should make AIB and Bank of Ireland sit up and take notice.

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So, who is Jack Chambers and why has he been given such a plum role in Cabinet? Irish Times Political Editor, Pat Leahy, charts the rise and rise of someone many are tipping as Micheál Martin's heir apparent to lead Fianna Fáil. 

Also on the podcast: aggression against workers in the Irish retail sector has been on the rise, prompting employers’ group Ibec to draft a toolkit to help businesses address this growing problem.

Nicola Harkin is head of employment law services at Ibec and she joined Ciaran Hancock to explain the reasons behind this surge in aggression and how its new toolkit might help.

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On Tuesday, the pilots’ union Ialpa announced a work-to-rule that will begin on June 26th and run for an indefinite period.

Barry O’Halloran of The Irish Times has been covering the various twists and turns in this pay dispute for many months now and he explained what impact a work-to-rule would have on Aer Lingus’s schedule.

And what could this dispute mean for customers planning costly holidays this summer? Tune in to hear Conor Pope explain what protections are in place for those booking independently or through a travel agent.

Also on this week’s podcast, we hear from Irish Times London Correspondent Mark Paul who has been on the campaign trail around the UK with the Tories and Labour.

Data from the Bank of England suggested inflation had returned to its 2 per cent target, which should be good news for the Conservative Party. Instead, Rishi Sunak has failed to generate any cut through with voters, in spite of announcing a number of tax cuts and other headline measures. But what would the economic policy of a Labour government look like?

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Plus, why is the minimum threshold for new building inspections so low here? Head of the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland, Kevin Hollingsworth, feels Ireland’s enforcement of building regulations is totally inadequate and needs to be significantly ramped up if we are to avoid a repeat of issues such as defective Celtic Tiger-era apartments or homes affected by mica and pyrite.

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Niall Conroy is chief economist with IFAC and he joined host Cliff Taylor on this episode of Inside Business to air the council’s concerns.

Plus, there is likely to be a rise in workplace audits after Revenue state commissioned freelance work will ‘generally’ indicate person should be treated as an employee. So, how do you know if you are a freelancer or a company employee? Irish Times journalist Laura Slattery and head of employment law at Addleshaw Goddard, Maura Connolly give some insight into Revenue’s guidance on the issue.#

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With June on the horizon airlines have seats to sell with plenty of capacity at many accommodation options for the peak months.

Ryanair chief executive Michael O’Leary recently said air fares had not increased at the anticipated pace, with peak prices more likely to rise by “zero to 5 per cent” rather than the “5 to 10 per cent” the carrier had expected.

Conor joins Ciarán Hancock in studio to discuss that story, along with tips on how to get value when travelling abroad this summer.

Also on this week’s episode of Inside Business, Fiona Reddan of The Irish Times explains Revenue rules around parents giving gifts and payments to their children.

Can you pay for your son or daughter’s wedding? Can you gift them their honeymoon? What about buying an apartment for them to live in while they go to college?

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He was also the co-founder of the Ireland Funds charity which has provided millions of euros in funding for projects on both sides of the border for the guts of 50 years.

His business career ultimately ended in failure after bankruptcy in 2015. So, how should we view his career, and ultimately, what will his legacy be?

To debate this, host Ciarán Hancock was joined by Irish Times columnist Fintan O’Toole and Rory Godson, the founder and managing director of communications advisory group Powerscourt - Rory wrote about Tony O’Reilly as a journalist and later worked for him as an advisor.

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And do we have enough construction workers to build these homes and get to the magic 50,000 new homes a year target that we’re told we need to hit in order to meet demand?

On this week’s episode of Inside Business, host Ciarán Hancock is joined on the line by director general of the Construction Industry Federation Hubert Fitzpatrick to discuss these issues.

Also on the podcast, this week saw Intel’s huge manufacturing campus in Leixlip, Co Kildare make global headlines with reports of an €11 billion refinancing and the possibility of investment in a new plant there. Local TD James Lawless of Fianna Fail joined us in studio to go through the details.

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In part one John McCartney, Director of Research at BNP Paribas Real Estate Ireland, discusses a significant surge in Dublin's office vacancies and the factors affecting office space demand, including the global economic downturn, a tech sector slowdown, and shifts in workspace needs post-COVID.

In part two economics columnist Cliff Taylor looks at Sinn Féin's criticism of first-time buyer support schemes and the State's spending on measures to help people find homes.

The episode also explores the potential for repurposing vacant office spaces into housing and the challenges associated with these conversions.

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This drop was spurred by declining sales in China, regulatory scrutiny of its app store, and mounting concerns that the company has lost its edge on innovation, especially in the field of AI. 

But is Apple's recent decline likely to continue in the longer term? Business Editor Ciaran Hancock gets a range of perspectives.

Guests: Geoff Blaber, CEO of CCS Insight, Denis Staunton, Irish Times China correspondent, Karlin Lillington, Irish Times technology columnist and Ciara O'Brien, Irish Times business and technology journalist.

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Will this deliver lower prices for hard pressed Irish consumers? Will it bring additional benefits in coverage? And is worth the hassle to switch for customers of VHI, Laya and Irish Life Health? To get some answers to these questions and more, Ciarán is joined on the podcast by Dermot Goode of Totalcover.ie, a Locktons Company, and an expert on Irish health insurance.

Also on the podcast, the Government published its Stability Programme Update. This is an update of budgetary forecasts provided to the European Union. It predicts a surplus for this year of €8.6 billion and a warning that the economy has slowed.

Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times has been through the document to break down the vast array of numbers and what they mean. How much of the budget surplus might be used to fund tax cuts or additional spending on key public services, given that €6 billion is earmarked for two sovereign funds?

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He and Des also own a large parcel of land beside Dublin Airport. Along with two other landowners, it amounts to 260 acres and was put on the market for sale in the middle of last year.

With no sale agreed, they subsequently submitted a concept plan to Fingal County Council to develop the site for a third passenger terminal at Dublin Airport, as part of a €2.2 billion development.

He argues that for the same money as DAA is proposing to spend on its own expansion plan, his proposal would allow the airport to expand by an additional 20 million passengers while solving road access issues and providing a platform for Dublin to become a hub for sustainable aviation fuel.

Crucially, however, he doesn’t have access to the runway, something that was an issue for bidders in the land sale process.

You’ll hear Ulick address that issue and explain why his plan isn’t, as many believe, pie in the sky.

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The State is planning to establish the scheme for workers who do not already have pension cover in their workplace. It has been much delayed but is moving forward and EY this week crunched the numbers to see what workers might get by way of a pension when they retire.

Dominic Coyle of the Irish Times reported on EY’s figures and joined host Ciarán Hancock in studio to explain how exactly auto enrolment will work.

Also on the podcast, the Minister for Finance Michael McGrath’s announced last week that he intended to set up two new funds to help meet the costs of running the State in the years ahead. Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times has been writing about this and joined Ciarán to outline what the funds would be used for and how much tax revenue would be set aside to fund them.

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Meanwhile a survey by AA Ireland found that half of the 1000 respondents would not opt to buy an electric car.

Why the hesitance to go electric? And what can be done to incentivise people to buy EVs?

Irish Times motoring editor Michael McAleer joins host Ciarán Hancock in studio to explain why EV sales are going in the wrong direction.

Also on this week’s episode of Inside Business, Irish Times economics correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy discusses the drop in Irish inflation for March, where it fell below 2 per cent for the first time in three years. Could this persuade the European Central Bank to begin cutting interest rates from June? And what might it mean for mortgage rates?

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He also gives his thoughts on why Japanese telecoms giant SoftBank shelled out €473 million for a 51 per cent controlling stake in Cubic last year.

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What if the ban becomes a reality? Host Laura Slattery is joined by Irish Times technology expert Ciara O’Brien to discuss the potential consequences for the hugely popular app that currently has 170 million active US users.

Also on this episode, we hear how Bitcoin has rebounded from the cryptocurrency implosion of 2022 to approach near record market value. What are the factors driving its resurgence and is it likely to last? Irish Times business reporter Ian Curran has the details.

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To discuss the Access to Cash Bill and its potential impact on the three retail banks (AIB, Bank of Ireland and PTSB), Ciarán Hancock is joined by CEO of the Banking and Payments Federation of Ireland, Brian Hayes.

Also on this episode, Irish Times Economics Correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy explains the factors behind the Central Bank’s prediction that real wages for the average employee will rise by almost 9 per cent over the next three years.

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Host Ciarán Hancock is joined by Cliff Taylor and Eoin Burke-Kennedy for a thorough look at where Ireland’s economy is right now.

Later in this episode of Inside Business, Irish Times Business and Technology journalist Ciara O’Brien discusses Apple being hit with a €1.8 billion fine by the EU for breaching competition law. The hefty fine equates to just 0.5pc of the company’s annual turnover. Ciara also outlines the impact of the EU’s new ‘Digital Markets Act’ for tech giants such as Apple.

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To make sense of Bank of Ireland’s latest results, along with some insight into what this year is likely to have in store for the three main banks here, host Ciarán Hancock was joined by Irish Times Markets Correspondent Joe Brennan and Financials Analyst at Goodbody, John Cronin.

Also on this week’s episode, Director & Head of Research at BNP Paribas John McCartney was in studio to break down the latest data on commercial property vacancy rates and why they are hitting record levels.

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But what does a German recession mean for the euro zone and Ireland? And are there any indications of when Germany’s economy will likely turn a corner? Host Ciarán Hancock is joined by Cliff Taylor and Irish Times Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally.

In the second half of this episode, we look at video-sharing platform TikTok’s restructuring plan that could see a few hundred of its workforce here being impacted. Irish Times technology journalist Ciara O’Brien gives some insight into why restructuring and layoffs has become a common theme in the tech sector over the last 18 months.

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And what of the broader picture for EV usage here, how do we compare to other countries and is charging infrastructure keeping pace? Brian Caulfield, Professor in Transportation & Head of Department at Trinity College Dublin gives his thoughts.

Host Ciarán Hancock is also joined by Markets Correspondent Joe Brennan to get some insight into Denis O’Brien’s business empire after he sold his majority stake in the Beacon Hospital.

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IRES is the biggest private landlord in the state with more than 3,700 apartments. On the face of it IRES is performing well, however the share price has struggled and a government-imposed 2% annual cap on rents is a potential drag on the business.

Vision Capital owns 5% of IRES and is not happy with the way the company is being run. Jeff Olin is president, CEO and portfolio manager of Vision Capital and he joins the podcast this week to discuss his issues with IRES.

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But should cash play an important role in our economy into the future?

Ciaran Hancock is joined this week by Vincent Jennings, Chief Executive Officer of the Convenience Stores and Newsagents Association who feels that cash has an important role to play and would welcome oversight of the many non-bank ATMs in operation here. Irish Times business and technology journalist Ciara O’Brien thinks plastic and digital are safer, more convenient and more hygienic, but still keeps an emergency tenner on her just in case.

Also on this week’s episode, senior business reporter Barry O’Halloran gives us the latest on the pay talks between pilots and Aer Lingus, with the airline’s 8.5% pay offer being rejected. He also has the latest Ryanair profit numbers, information on their new deals with online travel agents and its chief executive Michael O’Leary’s prediction that air fares will continue to rise in Europe this year as many airlines struggle to add capacity.

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And Irish Times Work Correspondent Emmet Malone brings us up to speed on the public sector pay talks impasse. We hear what the main points of contention are for both sides after discussions stalled last week.

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And we are joined on the line from the Swiss ski resort town of Davos by Eoin Buke-Kennedy. He is attending the World Economic Forum, which sees the great and the good of politics and commerce come together for the annual event. Headline speakers this year include Ukraine president Volodymyr Zelenskiy, UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres and European Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen. Minister for Finance Michael McGrath is also in attendance, keen to press home the message that Ireland is a leading location for foreign direct investment.

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Authored by veteran businessman Paschal Taggart and young law graduate Luke Cantwell, the report has suggested that the State should shave 10 per cent of land off Dublin’s major parks that could free up 450 acres that could be used to build apartments for up to 80,000 key workers – that’s guards, teachers, nurses and others with key roles in the workforce who find themselves priced out of the Dublin market for accommodation.

It's a left-field idea, but will any politician give it their public support?

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According to figures compiled by the Restaurant Association of Ireland, 228 food-led hospitality business have closed since July 2023. Why are so many cafes and restaurants struggling? With four locations in Dublin’s city centre, managing director at KC Peaches Ireland ltd, Katie Cantwell, is well placed to highlight the cost pressures those in the sector are contending with.

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Ciarán is also joined on the line by Irish Times China Correspondent Denis Staunton to discuss what was a disappointing 2023 for the Chinese economy on the back of a property slowdown of ‘historic proportions’. All is not bleak though, as Denis outlines the push towards a ‘level of higher quality growth’ and the continued drive towards decarbonisation. Plus, could 2024 see China engage in a trade war with the US?

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Cliff Taylor explains the notable slowdown in domestic growth here, despite the rosy picture that strong corporate receipt returns continues to paint. A lower level of discretionary spending is putting real pressure on smaller businesses, especially those in the hospitality sector – could a glut of closures follow in 2024?

It was a rotten year for RTÉ with the payments scandal proving a fixture in the headlines from late June onwards. Laura Slattery teases out the ramifications of the scandal after government funding steadied the ship as the national broadcaster seeks to significantly cut costs. And with license fee revenue having fallen off a cliff, is it time to explore alternative options?

Ciara O’Brien takes us through the big stories in tech with the potential of generative AI provoking much discussion – not all of it positive. Web Summit was also in the news after its co-founder and CEO Paddy Cosgrave stepped down following criticism in the wake of comments he made on X about the Israel-Hamas war.

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And it was an Epic loss for Google on Monday as a US court ruled their app store to be uncompetitive. Fortnite maker Epic Games brought the case having been unhappy with the current arrangement where developers lose up to 30 per cent of revenue generated through the tech giant’s app store.

Ciara O’Brien explains the court’s decision, what Epic want, and the potential ramifications of a verdict that could blow apart the app store model that is worth almost $200 billion (€185 billion) a year.

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Marsha Smith, IKEA’s Deputy Country Manager for UK & Ireland, joined host Ciarán Hancock to go through the main numbers outlined in IKEA Ireland’s latest sales results, as well highlighting the company’s commitment to sustainability and plans to further expand into towns and cities across Ireland in 2024.

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Ciarán Hancock is joined by Managing Director of Dubray Books, Maria Dickenson, to discuss another good year for the retailer, weathering the challenges of audio and eBooks, bouncing back from Covid and what title she has read three times already this year.

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But after years of delay and missed deadlines, will the scheme be up and running by the second half of 2024? What will the impact be for SMEs across the country? And is this a major step towards eventually eradicating the State pension?

To tease out the details of the scheme, host Ciarán Hancock is joined on the podcast by CEO of the Irish Association of Pension Funds, Jerry Moriarty, and Barra Roantree, Assistant Professor & Programme Director of MSc in Economic Policy at Trinity College Dublin.

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It’s not all bad news for RTÉ with Government confirming it will give the broadcaster an additional €56 million in funding between now and the end of 2024.

Also on the podcast, Ciara O’Brien is on the line from Lisbon for the first full day of the Web Summit tech conference. The run-up to this year’s event was complicated by the withdrawal of a number of partners and exhibitors following comments by cofounder and former CEO of Web Summit Paddy Cosgrave on social media about Israel’s military action in Gaza. So, was the usual buzz still there, or did it feel like any other tech conference?

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Dublin footballers Dean Rock and John Small sat down with Ciarán Hancock to discuss the balancing act of winning 15 All-Ireland medals between them, while also excelling in their careers as utility consultants with Procure.ie

And what about life after elite sport?

Olympian and wellness entrepreneur Derval O’Rourke explains the challenges of calling time on her career in competitive sport and finding a new career in the wellness space.

Produced by John Casey and Suzanne Brennan, with JJ Vernon on sound.

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As Cliff Taylor explains, Ireland “had an extraordinary run, we’re returning to earth”.

And Ciarán Hancock is also joined on this episode by Irish Times business and technology journalist, Ciara O’Brien, to discuss three companies facing different challenges - X, formerly known as Twitter, has been making headlines as it is now reportedly worth less than half of what Elon Musk paid for the company a year ago.

Elsewhere, Web Summit have appointed former chief executive of the Wikimedia Foundation, Katherine Maher, as their new chief executive. Maher’s appointment comes after the recent resignation of former CEO Paddy Cosgrave, following the backlash to comments he made on social media on the conflict in Gaza.

And one of Dublin’s biggest office tenants, WeWork, are planning to file for bankruptcy, accord to reports in the US. The office sharing group is reportedly struggling with a massive debt pile and hefty losses.

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Ciarán Hancock is joined by Irish Times Work Correspondent Emmet Malone and employment solicitor Anne O’Connell to tease out the potential ramifications for businesses and workers alike.

And after Web Summit’s CEO Paddy Cosgrave decision to step down from his role following his comments on the Israel-Hamas war, what could that mean for Portugal’s business-friendly image and Lisbon’s tourism economy? Lisbon-based journalist Jair Rattner gives his thoughts.

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Ciarán Hancock is joined by Irish Times Soccer Correspondent Gavin Cummiskey and CEO of Teneo Ireland Michael O’Keefe to tease out the pros and cons of hosting an international tournament.

And with the perception that tourism was not a priority for Budget 2024, Elaina Fitzgerald Kane, Chairperson of Irish Tourism Industry Confederation and Senior Business Report Barry O’Halloran explain why industry chiefs have sought a meeting with Minister for Tourism Catherine Martin to discuss a sector that supports “13 per cent of all Irish livelihoods, more than in agriculture and construction combined”.

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On the panel:

Cliff Taylor, Managing Editor, The Irish Times

Loretta O’Sullivan, Chief Economist and Partner, EY Ireland

Neil McDonnell, Chief Executive, ISME

Jennifer Bray, Political Correspondent, The Irish Times

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Also on this week’s episode, we hear the factors driving a marked increase in insolvencies among Irish firms this year, and whether the trend is likely to continue next year. Partner at PwC Ireland, Ken Tyrrell, has the details.

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Speaking to host Ciarán Hancock, Irish Times China correspondent Denis Staunton told Inside Business how these concerns were raised at the recent EU-China High-level Economic and Trade Dialogue, along with other concerns around Beijing’s neutral stance on the war in Ukraine and the huge inroads Chinese electric vehicles are making in the European market.

And the latest data from the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland points to a rise in banking scams, with fraudsters stealing almost €85 million in Ireland last year. Irish Times Home & Design Editor, specialising in writing about personal finance, Fiona Reddan, has some cautionary tales and prudent advice when it comes to protecting yourself against banking scams.

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And the significant slowdown in commercial construction here would usually be viewed as bad news, not so according to John McCartney, Director, Head of Research at BNP Paribas Real Estate, he explains that this is in fact a welcome development.

The panel also give their thoughts on warnings from IFAC and the Central Bank ahead of Budget 2024.

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Plus, we go to journalist Hugo McCafferty in Italy to hear how a blue crab invasion is wreaking havoc on the seafood industry there.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Fiona Reddan of the Irish Times and Head of Tax at EY, Kevin McLoughlin, give Ciaran Hancock their predictions when it comes to areas such as housing, social welfare, tax reform and one-off cost-of-living measures.

And Cliff Taylor supplies the economic backdrop to the budget following the release this week of exchequer returns for August and IFAC’s thoughts on government spending.

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Speaking to Cliff Taylor on this week’s Inside Business, Dermot Goode of Totalhealthcover.ie explains the reasons behind the increases and points out that consumers are ‘going to have to shop around’ if they want to stay within their budget.

And why are so many sectors struggling with staff recruitment and retention? Director of CIPD Ireland, Mary Connaughton has some insights as she gives us the latest data from CIPD's ‘HR Practices in Ireland survey 2023’.

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Speaking to Ciaran Hancock on this week’s Inside Business, Rob Coleman, a tillage farmer in North Cork, and Shane McAuliffe, a pig farmer based in Kerry, point out that it’s not just the weather forecast that influences their decisions with input costs proving extremely expensive over the last 18 months.

Another challenge that Rob and Shane are doing their utmost to meet, is that of climate change. They explain how policy must match individual efforts if the targets for carbon emissions reductions are to be achieved.

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Ciaran Hancock gets some insights on the multitude of challenges facing the sector from hotelier Lorraine Sweeney and chef & restaurateur JP McMahon – challenges that already include rising food prices, huge electricity bills, and a staffing crisis across the sector.

Plus, Irish Times Political Correspondent Jennifer Bray on the likelihood of government extending the 9% VAT rate, and what opposition parties have to say about it.

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Will there be moves to make the domestic stock exchange easier to join? Perhaps a vibrant junior exchange could provide a solution?

Ciaran Hancock gets the thoughts of Current Affairs Editor with the Irish Times, Arthur Beesley and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald Ireland, Ronan Reid.

And Irish Times Senior Business Reporter, Barry O'Halloran takes us through his story on how Ticketmaster Ireland has been offering GAA county boards cash incentives to sign up or renew contracts. 

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Has air travel demand fully recovered? Are fares going to continue to rise? And will sustainable aviation fuel be the key to net zero emissions across the sector by 2050?

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On this week’s episode of Inside Business, co-owner of Olive’s Room restaurant and co-founder of Vytal Ireland, Michelle Moloughney, gives Cliff Taylor her thoughts on the divisive levy.

And Irish Times business and technology journalist Ciara O’Brien on why she has been writing about Irish tech firm Intercom.

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And Irish Times Economics Correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy runs through the headline details from both the exchequer receipts and the Summer Economic Statement. 

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Michael and EY partner Feargal de Freine discuss a new report from EY covering 44 European countries on where Ireland sits in the competition for foreign direct investment.

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Brendan Burgess, founder of the consumer forum, askaboutmoney.com, thinks it is a poorly thought-out plan. As he tells host Ciarán Hancock, despite the increases in mortgage rates, most mortgage holders are not in distress and can cope with the higher interest.

And with corporation tax receipts likely to exceed €26 billion this year, €2 billion more than the Department of Finance is currently forecasting, should that equate to a bumper giveaway budget come October, or will a lid be put on spending?

Eoin Burke-Kennedy, Economics Correspondent with the Irish Times, explains that perhaps following the Norwegian model of sovereign wealth is the way to go given our growing surplus.

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Ciaran Hancock is joined by Irish Times Business Reporter Ian Curran to talks us through what those latest CSO figures mean, while Director of Cloud Infrastructure Ireland, Michael McCarthy and Energy Researcher at UCC, Paul Deane, give the pros and cons of so many data centres setting up here.

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In March, the Central Bank launched a three-month consultation period on key aspects of the Individual Accountability Framework for bankers.

Derville Rowland is Deputy Governor at the Central Bank of Ireland with responsibility in this area, and she joined Ciaran Hancock to explain how this new regime will work and what will be expected of financial firms and their executives.

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This time around, Republicans have put pressure on President Joe Biden by refusing to raise the debt limit unless they see some tangible federal spending cuts imposed as well as assurances on future spending. A preliminary deal has been struck, named the Fiscal Responsibility Act, it would suspend the debt ceiling until 2025. It must be voted through the House of Representatives later today before it can make its way to the Democrat-controlled Senate later this week.

Will the deal satisfy both sides? And what would happen if the US defaulted on the debts it owes?

Host Ciarán Hancock is joined by Irish Times Washington Correspondent Martin Wall and Jack Kelly, Senior Contributor to Forbes and Chief Executive of recruitment firm Wecrutir and The Compliance Search Group.

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We also hear how a conversation with a U.S. Food and Drug Administration official inspired Tom to start making crisps, the challenge of taking on Tayto, and how the pandemic was actually good for business.

Plus, with Keogh's crisps boasting some eighteen flavours, it was for Jedward that Tom created his most daring flavour combination....it involved sushi.

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Norman's company Cool Planet Group will carry out some of the work at a new factory it has just completed at Powerscourt, Co Wicklow.

He returns to the podcast to talk about how the businesses that make up his Cool Planet group, including software development, electric vehicle conversion and educational service provision, survived the pandemic and are now poised for rapid growth as the race to decarbonise the economy accelerates.

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Barry is co-founder of nutrition bar ‘Fulfil’, which was sold in April of last year for a reported €160 million to confectionary giant Ferrero.

After giving his reaction to receiving this most prestigious of awards, he explained how he developed a range of protein bars that took the Irish market by storm.

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Could government intervention have a positive impact? Perhaps a redistribution of the tax income from betting is a good place to start.

And with facilities from a bygone era still a feature throughout the country, are too many clubs attempting to play professional football on the island?

On today’s Inside Business podcast, Business Editor Ciaran Hancock gets some insight from Chief Executive of Platinum One Group, Fintan Drury and Longford Town manager Stephen Henderson.

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So, why are they planning to sell off the "crown jewels" of their assets in an attempt to balance the books?

The company's annual general meeting on May 4th looks to be more interesting than usual, with Canadian investor Vision Capital calling for the board of directors to be replaced. Ires Reit’s Canadian founder Capreit has indicated it will join forces with Vision Capital, who are agitating for the company to put itself up for sale.

Does the situation at Ires Reit signal the beginning of the end of institutional investors in Ireland?

On today’s Inside Business podcast, Business Editor Ciaran Hancock gets some insight from Markets Correspondent Joe Brennan and Head of Real Estate - Investment Banking at Goodbody, Colm Lauder.

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Could Fintech companies like Revolut and N26, along with more established companies such as An Post and our Credit Unions, prove to be viable alternatives for consumers looking to change?

Plus, are house-hunters likely to see asking prices dropping across the board over the next twelve months?

Ciaran Hancock gets some insight from Markets Correspondent Joe Brennan, Consumer Affairs Correspondent Conor Pope and Daragh Cassidy from Bonkers.ie.

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Later on, Ciaran is joined by Environment editor Kevin O’Sullivan and President of Engineers Ireland (EI) John Power to discuss their latest electrical energy review and Ireland's future energy needs.

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Later, Marian Finnegan, Managing Director of Sherry Fitzgerald joins Ciaran and Eoin to talk about property prices and the outlook for the housing market. According to MyHome.ie, house prices have fallen by a modest 0.3% in the first quarter of 2023, however Sherry Fitzgerald maintains prices are still on the up. They also discuss possible routes out of the housing crisis and the lifting of eviction ban.

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They discuss inflation, growth, the impact of inadequate housing supply and the problem of relying so heavily on a few major industrial sectors.

Plus: London correspondent Mark Paul reports on how the UK's economic situation is evolving under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt.

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• It is reporting season, so news is emerging about the performance and intentions of Irish plcs. And some are indicating plans to shift their main stock market listing to the United States. Why is this happening and what does it mean for Irish operations?

• Irish banks are posting healthy figures, and Bank of Ireland has a plan to bypass the ban on bonuses. Will others follow suit?

• What can we expect from the next European Central Bank meeting - will interest rates rise again?

Inside Business is produced in association with EY Ireland.

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Ciaran Hancock and Cliff Taylor are joined by Mark O'Connell, founder of Belfast-based consultancy OCO Global and Stephen Kelly, CEO of Manufacturing Northern Ireland to talk about the deal.

Plus: Businessman Denis O’Brien is on track to cede control of Digicel under a plan agreed with a group of bond creditors to swap $1.8 billion (€1.7 billion) of the heavily-indebted group’s borrowings for an equity stake in the business. Joe Brennan has the details.

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Plus: We're by now sadly familiar with finance scams using texts, emails and bogus websites to defraud people. The latest method takes advantage of the growing use of digital banking services like Revolut. Consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope explains what to watch out for.

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Plus: Cliff Taylor and Eoin Burke-Kennedy look at the latest economic trends.

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With any subscription you'll get unlimited access to the very best in unique quality journalism from The Irish Times. Subscribe today.

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Berlin Correspondent, Derek Scally, reports on how Europe’s most senior data regulatory body has ruled the Data Protection Commission in Dublin has failed to investigate, with due diligence, data collection and processing at Facebook and Instagram. Critics say that may have deprived the exchequer of a multibillion euro windfall.

With any subscription you'll get unlimited access to the very best in unique quality journalism from The Irish Times. Subscribe today.

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But first, Joe Brennan explains what the arrival of a new insurer, the South African company OUTsurance, into the Irish car insurance market means for the industry and for motorists. Will their presence drive down premiums?

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Ciarán Hancock is joined by Irish Times business journalists Eoin Burke-Kennedy, Ciara O’Brien and Laura Slattery.

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Later on, we hear from two Dublin city centre business owners, Stephen Kennedy of Copper+Straw cafe and Sean Crescenzi of Happy Endings restaurant. They speak about the impact that anti-social behaviour and drug dealing, in and around Aston Quay, is having on their businesses and the immediate and long-term solutions they would like to see implemented to address the issue.

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With the number of applications almost tripling in the first nine months of the year, speculation is mounting that the scheme could be closed off. Later on, we hear from Economics Correspondent Cliff Taylor who discusses how rising interest rates, coupled with a slowdown in construction are impacting the housing market.

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Ciara O'Brien on the troubles swirling around Twitter under the leadership of Elon Musk. The company this week met with the Irish Data Protection Commission to discuss concerns about upheaval at the company and how it could impact the safety of users and their data.

Joe Brennan on the news that car insurers had a bumper year in 2021, enjoying the highest profits since 2009. The size of awards paid out plummeted but premiums only dipped slightly. Will cheaper premiums be on the way?

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Pubs will be allowed to remain open until 12.30am seven days a week, while nightclubs will be allowed to open until 6am, under a major new overhaul of licensing laws due to be considered by Cabinet on Tuesday. It's a welcome move but isn't a panacea for the problems facing the hospitality sector, says Mark Paul.

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Later on, Ciaran Hancock is joined by Graham Clarke, CEO of Kylemore Cars, Ireland’s largest independent second-hand car sales company. They discuss the used-car business, which continues to see the price of second-hand cars rise as a result of “three major bumps in the road affecting the supply chain”. 

Clarke also speaks about the new carbon-neutral showrooms in Ballymount, recently opened by Kylemore Cars following a €6m investment.

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All eyes are now turning to the ECB and how it will react to the turbulence. The effect on interest rates will play out in the coming weeks, but could they peak sooner than expected? 

To discuss the impact of the mini-budget on the global economy, Ciaran Hancock is joined by Joe Gill of Goodbody Stockbrokers. 

Irish Times Economics Correspondent, Cliff Taylor, also takes a look at what it means from an Irish perspective. 

We also examine the latest bumper exchequer returns, and whether they may help offset what looks like an impending consumer-recession. 

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On the panel:

Cliff Taylor, Managing Editor, The Irish Times

Sven Spollen-Behrens, Director, Small Firms Association

Kevin McLoughlin, Head of Tax and Law, EY Ireland

Jennifer Bray, Political Correspondent, The Irish Times

Inside Business is produced in association with EY Ireland.

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In part two: Once again, the tourism sector will be hoping for an extension to the 9% VAT rate that was brought in to help businesses survive the pandemic. But there are indications the rate, which was extended by six months earlier this year, will not be extended again. Eoghan O'Mara Walsh is Chief Executive of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation and he tells Ciaran why the rate should stay and how the sector is faring.

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Large energy users will also be the first firms forced to cut their energy demand if the national grid comes under unsustainable pressure. 

Cliff Taylor speaks to Ibec’s chief economist, Ger Brady, about the implications for the sector and the economy as a whole, in the event of rolling blackouts. 

The Irish Times’ Barry O’Halloran reports on the diverging views of the Commission for the Regulation of Utilities and operator Eirgrid, at yesterday’s Oireachtas Committee on Environment and Climate Action.   

We also look at how the CRU proposes to deal with shortages over the coming winter. 

Plus, we examine the European Commission’s mooted redesign of the electricity wholesale market, after the EC President announced the commission is working on an “emergency intervention and structural reform.”  

The Irish Times’ Fiona Reddan also looks at what domestic measures may be announced in the upcoming budget to ameliorate the situation facing households.