Inside Business with Ciaran Hancock

With the dust settling on 2023, Inside Business host Ciarán Hancock is joined by an esteemed panel to pore over the big stories from the world of media and tech and the economy.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.Produced by John Casey. JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Energy provider SSE Airtricity is set to cut its prices for the second time in recent months. Conor Pope joins Ciarán Hancock to discuss whether this move from one of Ireland’s four main energy companies will spark a price war given the high prices Irish consumers are forking out for gas and electricity.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.Produced by John Casey. JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

IKEA is one of the biggest retailers in the world and according to its latest sales results, IKEA’s store in Ballymun had over three million customers walk through its doors in the last 12 months, making it the Swedish retailer’s best performing outlet globally. Since it opened its doors in 2009, the store in north Dublin has attracted 40 million customers to date, and now has a workforce of over 730 people.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.Produced by John Casey, with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

They are the ideal stock-filler - inexpensive, entertaining with a huge amount of choice, so it’s no surprise that Dubray Books shift a serious number of titles over the festive period.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.Produced by John Casey, with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Government’s landmark auto-enrolment scheme for pensions has moved closer to being a reality with the Department of Social Protection now saying that the process of finding a company to build and run the system will begin in earnest.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.Produced by John Casey, with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

On this week's episode of Inside Business, host Ciarán Hancock is joined by Irish Times journalist Laura Slattery to discuss the latest twist in the RTÉ saga. A new strategic report, entitled ‘A New Direction for RTÉ’, has been delivered to the government by director general Kevin Bakhurst, it outlines a range of changes designed to get the broadcaster back on a sound financial footing. The main takeaway for RTÉ staff will be the 400 job cuts being sought by 2028, representing a 20 per cent reduction in headcount. 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?Produced by John Casey, with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With seven wins from the last ten championships, the Dublin football team are expected to be in the mix for the All-Ireland every year. Playing for Dublin means carrying that expectation, but it also means juggling a professional career and the demands of competitive sport.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.ieAnd 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. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With inflation dropping to its lowest levels in two years across the euro zone, 10 straight interest rate hikes from the European Central Bank seem to be having the desired effect. But attention now turns to stagnating growth across the bloc, with GDP (gross domestic product) falling by 0.1 per cent between July and September. And with Ireland having the largest quarterly decline in GDP (-1.8 per cent) in the third quarter, the State’s highly volatile GDP numbers were cited as one of the factors in the overall decline. 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.Produced by John Casey, with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In a decision that has important implications for workers in the gig economy here, a Supreme Court ruling last week found that delivery drivers for a pizza restaurant should be treated as employees and not contractors.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.Produced by John Casey, with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Ireland confirmed as co-hosts for Euro 2028 along with the UK, could the tournament be a catalyst for positive change when it comes to the standards of training and facilities within the domestic game here? And while tournament football under the floodlights of the Aviva is a tantalising prospect, will Ireland even qualify?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”. Produced by John Casey, with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.