Inside Business with Ciaran Hancock

Ciaran Hancock is joined by guests to pore over the main elements of Budget 2024. The €14 billion package includes notable measures such as the threshold for higher income tax rate rising to €42,000, a €12 weekly increase to welfare and pension payments, and mortgage interest rate tax relief.On the panel: Cliff Taylor, Managing Editor, The Irish TimesLoretta O’Sullivan, Chief Economist and Partner, EY IrelandNeil McDonnell, Chief Executive, ISMEJennifer Bray, Political Correspondent, The Irish Times Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

A new report from the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council points to the cost of climate change to the Government rising to billions by the end of this decade. On this week’s Inside Business, host Cliff Taylor is joined by IFAC’s chief economist Dr. Eddie Casey to go through the key points contained in 'What Climate Change Means for Ireland's Public Finances' and the calculations for what the government may have to spend to attempt to achieve our emissions reduction targets.Also on this week’s episode, we hear the factors driving a marked increase in insolvencies among Irish firms this year, and whether the trend is likely to continue next year. Partner at PwC Ireland, Ken Tyrrell, has the details.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The EU’s trade commissioner is unhappy with the vague nature of two new Chinese security laws, laws which he feels are putting European investment there at risk. Speaking to host Ciarán Hancock, Irish Times China correspondent Denis Staunton told Inside Business how these concerns were raised at the recent EU-China High-level Economic and Trade Dialogue, along with other concerns around Beijing’s neutral stance on the war in Ukraine and the huge inroads Chinese electric vehicles are making in the European market.And the latest data from the Banking and Payments Federation Ireland points to a rise in banking scams, with fraudsters stealing almost €85 million in Ireland last year. Irish Times Home & Design Editor, specialising in writing about personal finance, Fiona Reddan, has some cautionary tales and prudent advice when it comes to protecting yourself against banking scams.Produced by John Casey, with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Joining Ciaran Hancock this week is Irish Times Economics Correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy who has the latest figures from the CSO, which point to rising house prices outside Dublin, but house prices in the capital continuing to fall. Has supply finally caught up with demand?And the significant slowdown in commercial construction here would usually be viewed as bad news, not so according to John McCartney, Director, Head of Research at BNP Paribas Real Estate, he explains that this is in fact a welcome development.The panel also give their thoughts on warnings from IFAC and the Central Bank ahead of Budget 2024.Produced by John Casey, with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After attending the glitzy launch of Apple’s new iPhone 15 range in California, Irish Times business and technology journalist Ciara O’Brien joins host Ciaran Hancock to pore over the incremental changes in the company’s new handsets. They are lighter, stronger and have a better camera, but with the iPhone 15 Pro starting at €1,239, are they worth the money?Plus, we go to journalist Hugo McCafferty in Italy to hear how a blue crab invasion is wreaking havoc on the seafood industry there.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Budget 2024 is only a matter of weeks away, with the government flagging a package of measures amounting to €6.4 billion. So, what can we expect from this budget, and will we see any surprises with a general election on the horizon? Fiona Reddan of the Irish Times and Head of Tax at EY, Kevin McLoughlin, give Ciaran Hancock their predictions when it comes to areas such as housing, social welfare, tax reform and one-off cost-of-living measures.  And Cliff Taylor supplies the economic backdrop to the budget following the release this week of exchequer returns for August and IFAC’s thoughts on government spending. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Selecting the correct health insurance policy can seem like a minefield at the best of times, but with premiums going up across the board this year, it feels especially difficult. Speaking to Cliff Taylor on this week’s Inside Business, Dermot Goode of Totalhealthcover.ie explains the reasons behind the increases and points out that consumers are ‘going to have to shop around’ if they want to stay within their budget.And why are so many sectors struggling with staff recruitment and retention? Director of CIPD Ireland, Mary Connaughton has some insights as she gives us the latest data from CIPD's ‘HR Practices in Ireland survey 2023’. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Farming In Ireland can often feel like a gamble, with external factors like Brexit, the pandemic and the war in Ukraine often impacting a producer’s bottom line. Speaking to Ciaran Hancock on this week’s Inside Business, Rob Coleman, a tillage farmer in North Cork, and Shane McAuliffe, a pig farmer based in Kerry, point out that it’s not just the weather forecast that influences their decisions with input costs proving extremely expensive over the last 18 months.Another challenge that Rob and Shane are doing their utmost to meet, is that of climate change. They explain how policy must match individual efforts if the targets for carbon emissions reductions are to be achieved. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With the temporary 9% VAT rate for hospitality set to return to 13.5% at the end of August, what impact could that have on a sector still finding its feet post-pandemic?Ciaran Hancock gets some insights on the multitude of challenges facing the sector from hotelier Lorraine Sweeney and chef & restaurateur JP McMahon – challenges that already include rising food prices, huge electricity bills, and a staffing crisis across the sector.Plus, Irish Times Political Correspondent Jennifer Bray on the likelihood of government extending the 9% VAT rate, and what opposition parties have to say about it. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With cement giant CRH shifting its primary listing to the New York stock exchange and noises that gambling group Flutter could soon follow suit, the Irish stock exchange is facing significant challenges.Will there be moves to make the domestic stock exchange easier to join? Perhaps a vibrant junior exchange could provide a solution?Ciaran Hancock gets the thoughts of Current Affairs Editor with the Irish Times, Arthur Beesley and CEO of Cantor Fitzgerald Ireland, Ronan Reid.And Irish Times Senior Business Reporter, Barry O'Halloran takes us through his story on how Ticketmaster Ireland has been offering GAA county boards cash incentives to sign up or renew contracts.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.