Irish Times Inside Business

Earlier this week Irish Times columnist Chris Johns wrote about why a hard Brexit on October 31st will be the beginning, rather than the end, of a chaotic phase in Britain’s history and that the country is facing a future as a failed state. He talks to Ciarán about why that is and why he believes that Boris Johnson’s decision to back Dominic Cummings as his senior adviser will come back to haunt him.They’re joined by Ibec’s director of policy and public affairs Fergal O’Brien to discuss why it is so difficult for Irish business to prepare for a no-deal outcome, how the Irish economy will cope and what measures Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe needs to take in October’s budget to soften the landing in 2020.Plus: Peter Hamilton takes us through some of the week’s other business news including Ryanair’s scuppered pilot strike, Facebook’s new privacy tool and Hershey’s stake in Irish snack brand Fulfil. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Vodafone got out of the traps first this week announcing the beginning of its roll-out of 5G internet. So, how much will it cost? And, what will it mean for Irish businesses and consumers? Ciarán talks to Professor Ronan Farrell of Maynooth University, which launched a 5G test centre earlier this year, and Irish Times business reporter Charlie Taylor.Plus: Laura Slattery has a roundup of some of the other business stories of the week including the departure of Norwegian Air from the Irish market, the purchase of Green Reit and a chill in property prices. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Harland & Wolff is officially in the hands of administrators. The legendary Belfast shipyard, once the world's largest, is now a symbol of the decline of British manufacturing and heavy industry. That decline is a subject that our guest today, Eamonn Fingleton, has written and reported on for decades. We're also joined by our reporter Francess McDonnell who has the latest on negotiations to keep the shipyard and its employees going.But first Laura Slattery has a roundup of the latest business news including a hefty fine for a large Irish firm, Boohoo buying Karen Millen and the disruptor snapping up a rare commodity: talented sports journalists. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Looming international tax changes will be a big setback for Ireland's relationship with multinationals. But how great is the danger? And, how can we adapt to these changes, while continuing to attract foreign direct investment and develop other parts of the economy?To discuss how this might play out, Cliff Taylor is joined by chief economist at Ibec Gerard Brady and Martina Lawless, associate research professor at the ESRI and member of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council.Plus: Laura Slattery on some of the other big stories this week, including steep Sterling loses and the continuing controversy surrounding Ireland's new Central Bank governor Gabriel Makhlouf. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Earlier this week minister of state at the Department of Finance Michael D'Arcy told The Financial Times that banking pay restrictions should remain in place - in spite of pressure from the banking industry to loosen them. AIB, Bank of Ireland and Permanent TSB are currently subject to a €500,000 salary cap, while a punitive 89% tax rate applies to any bonuses paid. Should the restrictions stay or go? Ciarán talks to Brian Hayes, former Fine Gael TD and MEP who is now CEO of the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland, and then by Pearse Doherty, Sinn Fein TD and finance spokesperson, for two different views on the issue. Plus, Peter Hamilton has all the latest business news including more pay disputes at Ryanair, how the markets are reaction to Boris Johnson's election as Tory party leader and struggling state agencies. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

With the publication this week of the final report on Irish banks's practice over several years of denying customers their rightful tracker mortgage rates, Ciarán talks about the scandal with Brendan Burgess of consumer forum askaboutmoney.com and The Irish Times markets correspondent Joe Brennan. Have the banks really changed? And Peter Hamilton has all the latest business news, including the Irish firm turning plastic into wax and the sudden relevance of outgoing Bank of England governor Mark Carney's Irish citizenship. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

On today's podcast Ciarán Hancock talks to David Hall, the mortgage debtor advocate, who expects 20,000 homes to be repossessed by banks or so-called vulture funds over the next six years. Mr Hall was a co-founder of the Irish Mortgage Holders Organisation, a not-for-profit body set up post the 2008 financial crash to help those in mortgage arrears to restructure their loans and remain in their homes.Earlier this month, in the wake of Ulster Bank announcing plans to sell ¤900 million worth of residential loans that are deep in arrears, Mr Hall said a tsunami of repossessions was coming in Ireland.He tells the podcast what IMHO plans next to help mortgage holders in arrears dealing with vulture funds.But first Peter Hamilton has the latest business news, including a look back at the life of Penneys founder Arthur Ryan who died this week. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Property price growth has slowed to its lowest level in five years, according to a report from Davy and property website myhome.ie.The study also suggests asking prices in Dublin, the most volatile segment of the market, are now falling for the first time since 2013.Eoin Burke-Kennedy of The Irish Times and Conall Mac Coille, chief economist at Davy, talk to Ciarán about what's behind the housing market moves. They also discuss the latest exchequer return figures that indicate a continuation of twin trends: a tax revenue boom, and cost overruns at the Department of Health. But first Peter Hamilton has the latest business news including a vacancy at the IMF with Christine Lagarde's appointment to the European Central Bank, more Press Up expansion, and a glimpse inside Larry Goodman's Goodman group. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Olympic Federation of Ireland President and Swim Ireland CEO Sarah Keane is among Ireland's top sports administrators. She talks to Ciaran and Michael O'Keeffe of Teneo PSG about her background in sport and law, what is involved in her various roles, the growth of female sport and the fallout for the Olympic movement in Ireland from the arrest of former president Pat Hickey at the Rio games in 2016. Plus, Michael has a roundup of all the latest news from the business of sport. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Are we building the wrong houses in the wrong places at the wrong prices? Sherry Fitzgerald chief economist Marian Finnegan and Orla Hegarty, architect and assistant professor at UCD’s School of Architecture, join presenter Cliff Taylor to discuss some troubling trends in the housing sector.Also in this podcast – Irish Times business reporter Fiona Reddan on why Credit Unions across the country are imposing savings caps.Plus: Peter Hamilton has some of the other stories in the news this week including Facebook's crypto currency, Libra. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In its latest report the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council has described the Government’s medium-term spending plans as “not credible”. The watchdog says there is an over-reliance on corporation tax receipts to cover ‘unplanned’ increases in spending, such as in health. In today’s podcast the chairman of IFAC, Seamus Coffey, explains why the council is so concerned about government spending, why the outlook for the Irish economy is “unusually uncertain” and what the immediate impact of a hard Brexit would be. He also talks about why he believes that IFAC’s warnings are influencing the Government’s handling of the public finances, despite an apparent reluctance to accept the watchdog’s findings.Plus: Peter Hamilton has a roundup of some of the week's other business headlines, including Ryanair's plan to add Malta Air to its expanding group of airlines. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

When it comes to supporting a culture of entrepreneurship, how does Ireland stack up against the global competition? Avolon CEO Dómhnal Slattery set out to find out, and he has compiled his findings in a report titled "Project i". He talks to Ciarán about what's in the report, where Ireland falls short for its start-ups and the role of state agencies like Enterprise Ireland. He also talks about aircraft leasing company Avolon, the future of aircraft in a low-carbon economy and the fate of the grounded Boeing Max fleet.But first Peter Hamilton is back with all the latest business stories. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Can we build a low-carbon economy in Ireland? On Monday business group Ibec launched its €40 billion blueprint, or greenprint, with proposals including increased forest cover, cutting emissions and raising carbon taxes. But is it ambitious enough? To discuss Ciarán is joined by Ibec CEO Danny McCoy, newly-elected Green Party councillor Hazel Chu and Cliff Taylor. But first Peter Hamilton has all the big news including car import woes for Irish sellers, Ireland's position on a US economic watchlist and what's happening at the Quinn Insurance inquiry. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Last week the high-end Dublin restaurant Luna closed after four years in business and just days after winning the Restaurant Association of Ireland’s best customer service award. The closure prompted some of the city’s leading restaurateurs to express concern about how development in the city is being managed, with accusations that things have got out of hand. Are there too many restaurants in Dublin? With already tight margins, has the increased VAT rate pushed the cost of doing business too high? Cliff Taylor is joined by Dublin restaurateur Elaine Murphy, DIT lecturer in culinary arts Dr Máirtín Mac Con Iomaire, and Irish Times consumer affairs correspondent Conor Pope to discuss. Also this week: Feargal O’Rourke, managing partner of PwC in Ireland, on the global focus on corporate tax and what that means for Ireland.Plus: Peter Hamilton’s roundup of the week’s other news including record-breaking employment figures and the collapse of British Steel. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out informatio

The European Commission has opened a formal investigation into whether Insurance Ireland is operating a cartel by restricting access to a claims database, almost two years after it raided the body as part of an inquiry into a number of issues in the sector. Conor Faughnan of AA Ireland and Irish Times markets correspondent Joe Brennan join Ciarán to discuss how the investigation could play out.Later: Chief economist at Manulife Investment Management, Megan Greene, and Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times on the latest developments in the US-China trade war and how markets have responded to its ratcheting up in the past week.Plus: Rising rents, hacks at Intel and WhatsApp, and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Eoin Burke-Kennedy on the ins and outs of the National Broadband Plan. Is the €3-billion project a misguided expense or a vital infrastructure that must go ahead?Fiona Reddan on Sports Direct owner Mike Ashley's purchase of House of Fraser and how department stores are coping in the era of online shopping.Plus: Peter Hamilton with a roundup of the other stories making the news this week, including Juul Labs's entry to the Irish e-cigarette market. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Trinity College Dublin is our most prestigious university but the institution has struggled to remain globally competitive. Government funding per third level student has declined steeply since the crash, and Trinity has fallen down the international rankings. So for today's podcast Ciarán Hancock visits the Trinity campus to find out what is being done to replace that lost income and maintain the may services it provides to its students and academic staff? How is Trinity taking advantage of the campus's prime city centre location and its famous tourist attractions like the Book of Kells, and how are commercial concerns balanced against its academic traditions? See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

STATSports head of marketing Ian Forrester joins Ciarán and Irish Times business journalist Charlie Taylor to discuss the Newry-based sports tech company's new funding round recently, which saw seven-figure investments by Premier League footballers Raheem Sterling and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain. Later: Cliff Taylor on the implications of pressure from public sector unions to end the two-tier pay structure. Plus: Datalex to suspend shares, Dunnes Stores eyes Base Wood Fired Pizza & EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Economists Megan Greene and Austin Hughes on the prospect of a global slowdown in economic growth, what should be done about it and how it might impact on Europe.Jack Horgan-Jones has the latest on the FAI, after auditors Deloitte filed a notice to the Companies Registration Office on Monday over breaches of the Companies Acts on the grounds that accounts were not kept properly. What happens now?Plus: Peter Hamilton has a roundup of some of the week’s other stories concerning Green Reit, Kingspan and the gig economy. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

Jack-Horgan Jones on the impact of institutional landlords on the property market. Simon Carswell on why we may never see a report on the collapse of Sean FitzPatrick's trial. Plus regional airports, Debenhams and more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.