Irish Times Inside Business

Former Virgin Media Television head Pat Kiely talks to Laura Slattery about his new venture BiggerStage, a television production company that has partnered with US giant Fox to create a talent show format called The Big Deal. The Irish version of The Big Deal is airing now on Virgin. Pat talks about his ambition to put more Irish talent on-screen and develop "non-scripted" formats with global appe...

This week the Government announced further reopening plans which include a phased return to the workplace from September 20th. Joining Ciaran to discuss the working options for employees and the challenges faced by employers is Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times, Emma Scott, People Partner at PwC Ireland and Mary Connaughton, Director of CIPD Ireland Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more in...

In this episode Ciarán talks to Ciarán Medlar and Cian O'Sullivan from professional services firm BDO, about its sports advisory unit which helps elite sports people and entertainers with their tax planning. Medlar is BDO's Partner in charge of Taxation Services and also chairman of Shamrock Rovers football club. O'Sullivan meanwhile is Director in the Private Client Tax team at BDO, but is probab...

It's one of the last industries to remain almost totally shuttered by the pandemic. But those working in live music are still waiting to see a plan for the reopening of the sector, even as thousands attend concerts taking place in Northern Ireland and further afield. Promoters here are begging Minister for Culture Catherine Martin to announce a roadmap for live music to return. Shane Dunne, a conc...

Why are rents rising by double-digit figures in rural Ireland? That figure, revealed in a daft.ie report released this week, reflects an “unprecedented scarcity” of homes to rent across the country, according to the report's authors. But is there more to it than a lack of supply? With rents in Dublin often reaching €2000 per month, is affordable rent likely to come even with increased supply? And...

Fiona Dawson joined the Mars Graduate Scheme in 1988 straight from Trinity College in Dublin. Since then, she has worked her way through various management and leadership positions before taking on her final role as Global President of Mars Food, Multisales and Global Customers. This month, after more than three decades with the company, Dawson has taken early retirement at just 55 years of age an...

In a post-pandemic world and with climate on the agenda, will Dublin Airport ever again reach the heights of the 33 million passengers that passed through it back in 2019? Dublin Airport Authority CEO Dalton Philips returns to the podcast to tell Ciaran how the industry is faring as passenger volumes begin to increase after a disruptive 18 months. Dalton says he is confident in the recovery of pas...

This week, restrictions on non-essential international travel have eased, bringing new hope to the aviation and tourism industries. Those who are fully vaccinated, have recovered from Covid-19 in the last six months, or who present a negative Covid-19 test can now travel more freely within the European Union, as well as to Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, and Switzerland. Ciaran Hancock is joined b...

Today the European Union revealed the details of its “Fit for 55”, a package of toughened climate laws designed to help hit the target of reducing emissions by 55% by 2030. But what does it contain, does it go far enough to hit the target, and what will it mean for business and consumers? Environment editor Kevin O Sullivan and Europe correspondent Naomi O’Leary report. A Central Bank paper on lon...

In a letter to The Irish Times, Clément Beaune, the French minister for European affairs, has appealed to the Irish people to reconsider their opposition to a global minimum corporate tax rate. This plea followed on from Ireland’s rejection of a draft agreement on international tax reform from the OECD. Cliff Taylor and Lara Marlowe join Ciaran to discuss the debate around corporate tax. Plus, Eoi...

Now that the Government has postponed the resumption of indoor dining, the hospitality sector faces an uncertain summer. In this episode, Ciarán talks to Galway restaurateur and owner of the Michelin starred Aniar restaurant, JP McMahon, about what the delay will mean for his business now and into the future. They’re joined by The Irish Times business affairs correspondent Mark Paul. Hosted on Aca...

Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times and Sebastian Barnes, Chair of the Independent Fiscal Advisory Council join Ciaran Hancock to discuss the ambitious spending proposals made by Tánaiste Leo Varadkar at the Fine Gael Ard Fheis last week, including the planned building of 40,000 houses per year and retaining current levels of health spend. But where will the money come from and how realistic are the b...

Cliff Taylor talks to Irish Times business reporter Barry O’Halloran and director of Shannon Chamber and former CEO of Shannon Development Kevin Thompstone about the closure of Stobart Air and the outlook for Irish aviation and regional connectivity. Thompstone also details the business case put forward to Government, which sets out the urgent need for a multi-annual, fully funded regional air acc...

The decision by G7 finance ministers last weekend to back a major package of global corporate tax reform is significant, making agreement at the OECD on this issue look likely. It will also pose significant questions for Ireland, particularly in relation to the agreed 15% global corporate tax rate. Laura Slattery talks to Cliff Taylor about how such a move would affect Ireland's ability to attract...

Sinead Lambert, owner of Sol Rio restaurant in Westport, Co. Mayo, joins Ciaran to discuss her reopening plans for the summer ahead and the mysterious shortage of staff for key positions in the hospitality trade. Plus: Cliff Taylor on the Government's €3.5bn stimulus plan and reforms of the Local Property Tax. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ciaran talks to Fáilte Ireland CEO Paul Kelly and to president of the Irish Hotels Federation and director of Fitzgeralds Woodlands House Hotel and Spa in Adare Co. Limerick, Elaina Fitzgerald Kane, about the next round of reopening the country's tourism sector from 2nd June, when hotels can welcome guests once again. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The true scale of the ransomware attack on the HSE by the cybercriminals known as Wizard Spider is not yet clear, but the task of rebuilding the executive's computer systems is likely to take weeks. In today's podcast, Ciarán talks to Conor Scolard, technical director of Ekco Ireland, about how exposed Irish companies are to such attacks and what can be done to militate against them. Also in this...

Bold action is needed by governments, business and investors around the world in order to tackle climate change. On today’s show we look at some of the big challenges to this, ahead of the Dublin Climate Dialogues conference next week. The initiative brings together big names including United States Special Presidential Envoy for Climate John Kerry, climate activist Mary Robinson and Dr Fatih Biro...

Eoin Burke Kennedy from the Irish Times and DCU Professor John Doyle join Ciaran Hancock to discuss the potential economic impact of Irish reunification. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After more than sixty years in business, Irish travel agent Joe Walsh Tours has announced it has ceased trading. The well known tour operator cited Ireland’s strict travel restrictions as one of the main reasons behind the closure. Irish Times Consumer Affairs correspondent Conor Pope and CEO of Irish Travel Agents Association Pat Dawson join Ciaran Hancock to discuss the uncertain future for tour...

On Sunday, twelve of Europe’s biggest football clubs announced plans to form a breakaway Super League, drawing an onslaught of criticism from fans, players and regulators alike. Less than seventy two hours later, their grand plan had collapsed, with six English clubs bowing out of the proposal. So what are the core problems at the heart of European football which led to this shock move and how can...

In today’s episode Ciaran Hancock is joined by hotelier John Fitzpatrick, owner of the Fitzpatrick Hotel Group in New York City. Later this month, the Fitzpatrick Manhattan will reopen following over twelve months of closure. In today's episode we hear about the reopening plans, the impact of Covid-19 on the hotel business and Fitzpatrick's thoughts on the Irish mandatory hotel quarantine system....

Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe says better-than-expected exchequer returns show our economic "resilience", but do the numbers hide deeper scars? Cliff Taylor joins Ciaran to look at the latest set of economic figures showing Ireland's tax, spending and unemployment in the pandemic-stricken Q1 of 2021. Plus, Barry O'Halloran looks at Ryanair's passenger numbers for the same period of time and...

This week the Government revealed its plan for the phased reopening the economy from April 12th onwards. On today’s show, Ciaran is joined by Ibec chief executive Danny McCoy and Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times to discuss what will it mean for Irish business and the wider economy. Is the timeline for reopening too sluggish? And, with the pace of the vaccine rollout ramping up, when might the Gover...

Value(s) is the new book by economist and former governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney. It’s an exploration into the ways in which economic and social values have become blurred and the radical change that is needed to build a better world for all. Recently, Irish Times columnist Chris Johns sat down with the Canadian banker for a wide ranging discussion on reshaping societal values, his inv...