Irish Times Inside Business

The timber industry contributes about €2.3 billion to the Irish economy each year and supports 12,000 jobs in rural Ireland. But with some 78 per cent of the output exported overseas, the implications of Brexit are obvious. To discuss this industry and the threat it faces, Ciarán is joined by Coillte CEO Fergal Leamy, John Murray, owner of Murray Timber, and Lucinda Creighton, MD of Vulcan Consulting. But first Eoin Burke Kennedy is here to talk about his selection of the day's major business news, including soaring property prices, Google and Facebook backing away from political advertising and a proposed levy on diesel. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A row has erupted over a controversial decision by Dun Laoghaire Rathdown county council to place land around Leopardstown racecourse on its Vacant Sites Register. Olivia Kelly and Barry O'Halloran have the details on the story. Later, Davy's chief economist Conall Mac Coille on the stockbroker's latest upbeat economic forecasts. But first, Peter Hamilton has a roundup of some of the other stories this week, including the EU’s Multi Annual Financial Framework and mixed news on Ireland’s cost of living. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On today's podcast, Mark Paul talks to Ciarán Hancock about Irish-owned Smyths Toys €79 million European expansion. Conor Pope reports on two consumer scandals involving Irish Ferries and Ulster Bank. But first, Eoin Burke-Kennedy has a roundup of some of the week’s other stories, including the latest developments in the tracker mortgage scandal and an agreement for Apple to begin paying its Irish tax bill. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Mark Paul and Simon Carswell talk to Ciarán Hancock about the latest developments in the INM saga. Also, Eoin Burke-Kennedy has the details of the government’s latest Stability Programme Update. But first, Laura Slattery has a roundup of some of the other stories this week, including the appearance of senior Facebook executive Joel Kaplan at an Oireachtas Committee. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Our cricket players have had some notable success in the last few years, but would still be more likely to get recognised on the street in Delhi than here in Dublin. Might that be about to change? This week host Ciarán Hancock and Michael O'Keeffe of Teneo PSG are joined by Cricket Ireland CEO Warren Deutrom to talk about Ireland's elevation to Test Nation status and what that means for the future of the game in Ireland.But first Michael has all the latest news from the sports business world, including Conor McGregor's endangered sponsorships, the staggering growth of fees paid to player agents, and commercial deals for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On today's podcast: Colm Keena on the alleged data breach at INM Data expert Daragh O'Brien on what employers can and can't do with your emailsEconomist Megan Greene on the return of tariffs. What is President Trump's next move?Eoin Burke-Kennedy has the latest Exchequer returnsAnd Peter Hamilton has the rest of this week's business news, including accelerating house building and some much-needed good news for tech. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement escalated its investigation into Independent News & Media this past week, confirming its intention to seek the appointment of a High Court inspector to the company. Irish Times legal affairs correspondent Colm Keena has the background. Also, Joe Brennan on jobs cuts at Bank of Ireland and Chris Johns on renewed stock market turbulence. But first, Laura Slattery has a roundup of some of the week’s stories including Central Bank figures showing around 350,000 people in Ireland used moneylenders last year and a survey by communications regulator Comreg, suggesting Netflix is used by at least 500,000 Irish households. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Former Siptu president Jack O’Connor talks to Ciarán Hancock about his plans to contest the next general election for the Labour party, why Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe is more fortunate than competent, Labour's past mistakes, the future of work, and more.But first, Peter Hamilton has a roundup of the week’s news stories, including falling Facebook shares in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal, the threat to corporate tax here due to an EU digital tax and the Irish champagne sales losing their fizz. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Husband and wife founders of Waterford based Immersive VR Education, David and Sandra Whelan, talk to Ciarán Hancock about the holding company's €6.7m IPO on the London and Irish stock markets this week. Also, Cliff Taylor on the European Commission’s plans for a digital tax and what impact it could have on Ireland. But first, Laura Slattery has a round-up of the week’s stories, including a planned redesign of Aer Lingus uniforms, the latest tourism figures and Paddy McKillen Jnr’s Press Up hospitality group’s potential stock market flotation. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

This week it's our regular Business of Sport section. And due to popular demand, we've gone and devoted the entire episode to sport. For that we're joined again by Mick O'Keeffe of Teneo PSG. Cheltenham Festival, taking place next week, is the fourth-largest sporting event in the United Kingdom, with a quarter of a million attendees - a figure swelled by an annual influx of Irish racing enthusiasts.Ciaran and Mick talk to Ian Renton, MD of Cheltenham, about the success of the festival, plans to expand, the problems posed by Brexit and the importance of the green contingent.They're also joined by our own resident racing expert Barry O'Halloran who shares a few tips for next week's races. But before all that Ciarán and Mick go through the major sport business themes of the month, including the GAA's ban on gambling sponsorship, the impact of a Six Nations home game on local business and stadium naming rights. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

It has been another week of confusing Brexit negotiations, but one things for certain – they aren’t going well. On today’s podcast, Cliff Taylor joins Ciarán Hancock to make sense of it all. Could Ryanair really pull out of the UK after it leaves the EU? Barry O’Halloran has the latest and Eoin Burke-Kennedy on accelerating wage growth.But first Peter Hamilton brings us a round-up of the week’s business news. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Ross Maguire founder of New Beginning joins Cliff Taylor and Ciarán Hancock to discuss how Irish banks have allowed non-performing loans to pile up since the economic crash, why they need them off their books and the role that 'vulture funds' could play in solving the problem.But first, Peter Hamilton brings us a round-up of the week’s business news, including the withdrawal of Philip Lane’s name from the race for the ECB presidency and the news that a second Jamie Oliver restaurant is on the way for Dublin, in contrast with the TV chef’s UK fortunes. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Robert Finnegan, CEO of Three Ireland is in the hotseat on this week's podcast. He talks to Ciarán about his company's place in the Irish mobile market, the success of "All You Can Eat" data, the advent of 5G, rural broadband, and Three's sponsorship of the Irish football team. But first Peter Hamilton has a roundup of the week's business news, including rocketing property prices and rents, soaring consumer confidence, and another confounding week in the crazy world of crypto-currencies. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Wild trading in the US, sparked by fears that rising inflation could force central banks worldwide to hike interest rates, saw volatility return to global stock markets in recent days.Irish Times columnist Chris Johns joins Ibec’s chief economist Fergal O’Brien, Cliff Taylor and Ciarán Hancock to discuss whether this is merely a temporary correction, or a hint of something more worrying to come.Also on the podcast, the EU Commission’s latest estimate showing that Ireland’s economy grew three times faster than the wider euro area last year, the Federal Reserve’s new chairman, Brexit and the merits of the government’s National Development Plan. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

The news that VW tested diesel engine emissions by exposing monkeys to the fumes is a PR disaster for the company - another one. But will it matter to its bottom line? Or will the negative findings of the tests harm the diesel market? From Germany, Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally, and from his desk, Motoring Editor Michael McAleer are here to tell us. After that, in our monthly focus on the business of sport, Ciaran and Michael O'Keeffee of Teneo PSG talk to IRFU CEO Philip Browne about the Rugby World Cup bid, doing a deal with TV3, the price of Six Nations tickets and more. Finally, Michael fills Ciarán in on all the big sports business stories of the moment. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

How has the Trump economy so totally confounded the negative expectations of a year ago? What did we learn about the tracker mortgage scandal from AIB CEO Bernard Byrne's appearance at the Oireachtas finance committee ? And what is stopping us from making real competitors to Dublin out of places like Cork and Limerick, before the entire country becomes a commuter belt and the M50 finally grinds to a permanent halt? In part one of today's Inside Business podcast, Business Editor Ciarán Hancock probes Cliff Taylor and Eoghan Burke-Kennedy for answers to those questions. In part two, Markets Correspondent Joe Brennan reports on the goings-on at the World Economic Summit in Davos, Switzerland. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

A study of executive salaries at Irish companies by the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (Ictu) released this week, shows the gap between the pay packets of chief executives and the average worker is widening, while bonuses are on the up.Laura Slattery is joined by Ictu's Dr Peter Rigney, Global FDI director at Morgan McKinley Trayc Keevan and Irish Times business affairs correspondent Mark Paul to discuss the findings.Also on the show: the CSO has introduced its Labour Force Survey to replace the Quarterly National Household Survey as the most accurate barometer of conditions in the Irish labour market. Eoin Burke Kennedy explains what it says about the state of Irish employment. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Demand for residential property in Dublin is sky-high, particularly around Grand Canal Dock. That's where development company Cairn Homes is building 122 new apartments. But the hefty price tag means they are not for everyone. Cairn CEO Michael Stanley showed Ciarán around the building and talked about the high cost of construction, why we need to add more floors to our city centre buildings and what needs to be done to ameliorate the acute shortage of housing. But first Joe Brennan pops in to tell us about the history of Cairn. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

2017 was another busy year for the Irish hotel industry with many new openings, customer growth and increased room rates. Tim Fenn, CEO of the Irish Hotels Federation, talks to Ciarán about the industry: the health of the market, whether value for money is being eroded, the impact of Brexit and the fight to retain the 9% VAT rate. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

What challenges and opportunities face the Irish economy and business in 2018? Bank of Ireland chief executive Francesca McDonagh, Ibec CEO Danny McCoy and Irish Times columnist and technology entrepreneur Chris Horn, join Ciaran Hancock to look ahead to the next 12 months. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.