Irish Times Inside Business

Simon Carswell on what he heard at Oireachtas committee hearings into the botched prosecution of Anglo Irish Bank by the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement. Cliff Taylor on the latest CSO data showing that in 2018 2.28 million people were employed in our economy, an all-time high. What does that mean for employers, employees and the economy?Plus, Peter Hamilton has a roundup of business news including ups and downs for Irish whiskey producers, the agri sector's Brexit battles and a major move by the world's biggest producer of coal. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Some call it the pensions time-bomb. In the private sector, under 40% of workers are covered by a pension. As our workforce ages, the problem of retirees lacking the funds they need will grow and grow. Most agree that the planned introduction of auto-enrolment, whereby workers automatically contribute to their own pension, is a good idea. But beyond that, there is much disagreement on how it should be implemented. Should it be mandatory or opt-out? Privately or publicly run? And should it replace or supplement the state pension? To debate this critically important topic, Ciarán Hancock was joined by Irish Life CEO David Harney, Dr Laura Bambrick of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions and Irish Times columnist Chris Johns. The podcast was recorded in front of a live audience at the Irish Life Building. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It's officially titled The Open Championship but whether you call it that, the British Open or simply The Open, it’s coming to these shores in July. For the first time in 68 years Royal Portrush will host golf’s oldest major. Over 200,000 golf fans are expected to descend on the County Antrim coast with the eyes of millions worldwide focussed on the Dunluce Links as the seaside resort becomes the centre of the golf universe for one week. It also means a boon for the local economy. But can the small resort handle such numbers, and what about the impact of Brexit on preparations? Ciarán and Michael O'Keeffe of Teneo PSG talk to Malcolm Booth, Director of Sales and Marketing at the Open, to discuss how things are shaping up ahead of the 148th edition of the event. But first Michael has a roundup of the latest news from the business of sport including GAA finances, Sport Ireland investment figures and some good news about Ireland's Six Nations match against England last weekend. See acast.com/privacy for privacy

If you've been in Dublin lately you might have noticed a tall new building dwarfing its neighbours on the south quays. Capital Dock, now the Republic's tallest building, is a residential development by Kennedy Wilson, who hope the wealthy executives who work nearby will choose to rent an apartment there. And you will need to be wealthy, because a standard two-bed will cost €3,300 per month. For that money you also get access to luxurious shared facilities and services. Inside Business went for a walk around the 22-storey residential tower in the company of Kennedy Wilson executives Ali Rohan and Peter Collins. What makes an apartment in this development worth its price? Who do they expect will want to live in Capital Dock? And how does the exclusive building fits into Dublin's dysfunctional residential property sector? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Siobhán Talbot, Glanbia chief executive and the Irish Times Business Person of the Year for 2018, talks to Ciarán about Brexit and the difficulty of planning for a ‘no deal’ scenario. They also talk about Glanbia’s transition from dairy to high tech proteins and weight management products, the importance of promoting diversity, and how surviving cancer has changed her outlook on life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week's podcast: Cliff Taylor on the market reaction to the defeat of Theresa May's Brexit deal. What now? There is at least one sector for whom a hard Brexit may not be all bad: cars. Motoring Editor Michael McAleer explains why. Peter Hamilton has a roundup of the latest business news, includinga good week for Supermac's as it wins its David v Goliath court battle with McDonalds, a terrible week for software company Datalex, and news of yet more Dublin expansion for startup unicorn WeWork. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Apple and Samsung both reported revenue slumps for the last quarter of 2018. What's going on? Analyst at Davy Stockbrokers Aidan Donnelly explains.Plus: Ibec is predicting a major slowdown in growth this year as the Irish economy approaches full capacity and “cost competitiveness erodes”. CEO of the employer's group Danny McCoy joins Cliff Taylor to give his predictions for the economy in 2019 amid the threat of Brexit, Donald Trump’s tariffs and other drags on Ireland’s economic performance. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Christmas Day is behind us, and so is a record year for Irish business. But as 2018 draws to a close the picture is beginning to look a lot more mixed. Today we assess some of the risks to the Irish economy in the year ahead, from Brexit to retail and the housing crisis. Joining Ciarán Hancock to look ahead to those challenges are Anne Graham, CEO of the National Transport Agency, Maurice Pratt, chairman of Uniphar among other things, and Cork-based property developer Michael O'Flynn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

As 2018 draws to a close, Ciarán talks to some of the Irish Times business team about the stories they’ve covered this year. Joe Brennan and Cliff Taylor take a look back at the banks, Brexit and Ireland’s continued economic recovery, just five years after exiting the EU-IMF bailout. Plus: Laura Slattery recalls a torrid year for Facebook and Mark Paul goes through the highlights of the ongoing drama at INM. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What could derail Ireland's economic recovery next year? Ciarán talks to Megan Greene, Global Chief Economist of Manulife/John Hancock Asset Management in New York, Equity Analyst at Investec, Owen Callan and Cliff Taylor, about the international variables that could influence Ireland's growth prospects in 2019: Brexit, the US-China trade war and global stock markets.But first, Laura Slattery has a roundup of some of the other stories in the news this week, including RTÉ salaries, Primark and Google's most searched for terms in 2018. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Why are Republic of Ireland football managers paid so well? That’s just one of the questions Ciarán puts to FAI finance director Eamon Breen on this week’s podcast. He talks about where the association is investing its money in the sport, the debt it is currently carrying and he reveals how much money the businessman Denis O’Brien contributed to the FAI's finances over the years. Plus: Cliff Taylor explains why the corporate tax take was up last month and why a surprise budget surplus looks to be on the cards. He also has the latest on what’s been happening on the Brexit front.But first, Peter Hamilton has a roundup of some of the other stories making headlines this week, including the sad tale of the collapse of the Orla Kiely brand, Ryanair’s new ultra-low cost Eastern European subsidiary and the boomtastic menu at chef Dylan McGrath’s new D4 venture. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Sports agents have never been as big a part of the sporting landscape in Ireland as in some other countries, but that is slowly changing. Today Ciaran Hancock and Michael O'Keeffe talk to two people working in the field in Ireland about their businesses and their unique perspective on the business of sport. Niall Woods is CEO of Rugby Agents Ireland and Sinead Galvin is founder of Galvin Sports ManagementBut first, Michael O'Keeffe has a roundup of all the month's biggest sports business stories including the free-to-air Rugby World Cup and Nike's move into the weird world of e-sports. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The 2018 Irish Times Innovation Awards took place last night and the overall winner is Aid:Tech. The company's platform enables entitlements like aid, welfare, remittances, donations and healthcare to be digitised and delivered through blockchain technology in a completely transparent manner. Ciarán caught up with Niall Dennehy, co-founder and COO, right after his big win last night. Plus, Fiona Reddan on the new benchmark for rents in the capital: €3,300 for a two-bed apartment in the Kennedy Wilson's Capital Dock building on Dublin's south quays. And the bigger picture: are build-to-rent providers driving up rents across the city?But first Peter Hamilton has a roundup of the lates business news including a terrible week for tech stocks amid broader market jitters, the rise and fall of auto guru Carlos Ghosn, and a warning over the need for foreign workers to drive housing supply - where will they live? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mediacon Summit co-founder Steve McCormack talks to Laura Slattery about the TV business and why the Irish television industry needs to look overseas for co-production opportunities.Later, Cliff Taylor explains the latest Brexit developments and what the possible outcomes could be.But first, Michael McAleer previews the upcoming Irish Times Innovation Awards and some of the novel business ideas set to be recognised during the ceremony. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week: Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe will be happy with the outcome of Tuesday’s Ecofin meeting, which saw his German counterpart suggest a two year delay on the introduction of a digital sales tax and the French propose a compromise, or to borrow a Brexit term, a backstop measure. Europe editor Patrick Smyth and Olivia Buckley of the Irish Tax Institute join Ciaran to discuss how the tax will work and why Ireland is so opposed to it.Plus: The 100% Club launched on the fringes of the European Climate Innovation Summit in Dublin this week, aimed at challenging firms to reveal annually the full extent of their greenhouse gas emissions. Kevin O’Sullivan has the details.But first: Peter Hamilton has a roundup of some of the week’s other stories, including Ryanair’s sacking of six members of staff over a viral photograph, good news for Ikea in Ireland and Sharon Donnery beaten by an Italian economist for a top ECB banking job. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This year's winners of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year Ireland awards, Daniel Mackey and Peter Coppinger, are the founders and leaders of Teamwork.com, a Cork-based Saas (software as a service) company. They talk to Ciarán about their ambition to build a €450 million-revenue company, going where the talent is (which isn't Dublin), not needing funding despite spending their savings on their url, and their advice for wannabe entrepreneurs. Later we hear from Denis Staunton in London and Cliff Taylor explain the key elements of the UK budget which included a Digital Services Tax for tech giants, and how Brexit might force Philip Hammond to rip it all up and start over. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Today's guest: Former stockbroker Mick Dawson took over as Leinster Rugby CEO in 2001. Since then Mick has overseen the transformation of Leinster Rugby into one of the genuine powerhouses of the European game, claiming four Heineken Cups and numerous other successes along the way.In that time, support for both the province and the game in general has grown considerably with Leinster very much now a firm part of the Dublin and Irish sporting fabric.Plus: positive news for sport in Ireland in the 2019 budget, the IRFU's strategic plan, new stadiums rising and a new initiative to boost female participation in sport. The Irish Times Inside Business Podcast is a weekly programme dedicated to Irish business and economics, featuring award winning journalists, analysts and industry experts presented by Business Editor Ciarán Hancock, in association with Irish Life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On this week’s show AIB chief executive Bernard Byrne is in the hot seat to answer questions on a wide variety of topics including housing and rip-off mortgage rates, Brexit, bankers’ salaries and bonuses, when Irish taxpayers will be fully repaid for the bailout and whether he gets any hate mail. Ciarán also asks why, a decade after the financial crisis, trust in the banks is still being eroded by scandals like the tracker mortgage controversy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Paschal Donohoe’s Budget 2019 has a little something for everyone, but the goodies are spread widely across tax and welfare. The decision to restore VAT to 13.5 per cent for hotels, restaurants and hairdressers will be a hot topic, though perhaps not quite as hot as the lack of action on the carbon tax, in a week when climate change experts delivered their starkest ever predictions on global warming. The ‘squeezed middle’ will gain €250 a year, €1.25bn has been allocated for social housing, there’s a rainy day fund and a chunk of change has been set aside for Brexit proofing.Joining Ciarán Hancock to go through the main points of Budget 2019: Fiach Kelly, Cliff Taylor, Fiona Reddan and Liam Diamond, Tax Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers.Produced in association with Irish Life. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

September tax returns give Paschal Donohoe little scope for surprise giveaways in Budget 2019, unless he raises taxes elsewhere. Will that see hoteliers lose their coveted 9 per cent VAT rate? Is it possible to Brexit-proof the economy? Ahead of the announcement next Tuesday, Chief economist at KBC Bank Austin Hughes and Irish Times business journalist Eoin Burke-Kennedy go through the numbers.Also: There was further turbulence at Ryanair this week after it issued a profit warning and lowered its earnings guidance. Barry O’Halloran has the story.Plus: Laura Slattery has a roundup of some of the other stories making the headlines this week, including property developer Sean Dunne’s continued tale of woe after a High Court judge called him a “deeply dishonest” witness when extending his bankruptcy to just shy of the 15-year maximum. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.