Inside Business with Ciaran Hancock

Cork entrepreneur Norman Crowley has signed a deal with a leading global mining company to retrofit some 8,500 diesel mining trucks into electric vehicles over the next three years, with much of this work to take place at sites in the Republic, he tells Ciaran Hancock on today's podcast. Norman's company Cool Planet Group will carry out some of the work at a new factory it has just completed at Powerscourt, Co Wicklow. He returns to the podcast to talk about how the businesses that make up his Cool Planet group, including software development, electric vehicle conversion and educational service provision, survived the pandemic and are now poised for rapid growth as the race to decarbonise the economy accelerates. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Barry Connolly scooped the award for Business Person of the Year in February at the fifth annual Irish Times Business Awards. He joined Ciaran at the time for a wide-ranging chat about his successful career to date.Barry is co-founder of nutrition bar ‘Fulfil’, which was sold in April of last year for a reported €160 million to confectionary giant Ferrero.After giving his reaction to receiving this most prestigious of awards, he explained how he developed a range of protein bars that took the Irish market by storm. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The fact that winning the League of Ireland Premier Division is less lucrative than a UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying round tie speaks volumes about the financial state of football here. Could government intervention have a positive impact? Perhaps a redistribution of the tax income from betting is a good place to start.And with facilities from a bygone era still a feature throughout the country, are too many clubs attempting to play professional football on the island?On today’s Inside Business podcast, Business Editor Ciaran Hancock gets some insight from Chief Executive of Platinum One Group, Fintan Drury and Longford Town manager Stephen Henderson. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With some 4,000 homes in its portfolio, and few or no vacant units at this time, Ires Reit should be raking it in. So, why are they planning to sell off the "crown jewels" of their assets in an attempt to balance the books?The company's annual general meeting on May 4th looks to be more interesting than usual, with Canadian investor Vision Capital calling for the board of directors to be replaced. Ires Reit’s Canadian founder Capreit has indicated it will join forces with Vision Capital, who are agitating for the company to put itself up for sale.Does the situation at Ires Reit signal the beginning of the end of institutional investors in Ireland?On today’s Inside Business podcast, Business Editor Ciaran Hancock gets some insight from Markets Correspondent Joe Brennan and Head of Real Estate - Investment Banking at Goodbody, Colm Lauder. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With KBC and Ulster Bank having exited the Irish market, what is out there for Irish customers when it comes to loans and savings?Could Fintech companies like Revolut and N26, along with more established companies such as An Post and our Credit Unions, prove to be viable alternatives for consumers looking to change?Plus, are house-hunters likely to see asking prices dropping across the board over the next twelve months? Ciaran Hancock gets some insight from Markets Correspondent Joe Brennan, Consumer Affairs Correspondent Conor Pope and Daragh Cassidy from Bonkers.ie. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

In this episode, Cork-based developer Michael O’Flynn shares his views on the new Residential Zoned Land Tax (RZLT), which will come into effect in 2024, replacing the existing vacant site levy. The new tax aims to increase housing supply by encouraging developers to build on land owned, rather than hoarding it. While O’Flynn explains that he’s in favour of the concept, he doesn’t agree with the way it is being implemented and applied by local authorities. O’Flynn who owns 24 properties in Cork city and county, received an exemption for 12 of those sites, but must appeal the remaining dozen with An Bord Pleanála, or be faced with an annual bill of more than €2 million.Later on, Ciaran is joined by Environment editor Kevin O’Sullivan and President of Engineers Ireland (EI) John Power to discuss their latest electrical energy review and Ireland's future energy needs. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Despite a slowdown in the tech sector, Ireland’s corporation tax receipts are as healthy as ever. The latest exchequer returns show the Government collected €3.2 billion in the first quarter of 2023, €1.3 billion higher than in the same period last year. Eoin Burke-Kennedy and Cliff Taylor talk to Ciaran Hancock about the government's plan for the takings. Later, Marian Finnegan, Managing Director of Sherry Fitzgerald joins Ciaran and Eoin to talk about property prices and the outlook for the housing market. According to MyHome.ie, house prices have fallen by a modest 0.3% in the first quarter of 2023, however Sherry Fitzgerald maintains prices are still on the up. They also discuss possible routes out of the housing crisis and the lifting of eviction ban. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has published a new report on Ireland's economic circumstances. Conor O'Toole, Associate Research Professor with the ESRI, joins Eoin Burke-Kennedy and Ciaran to talk about the report. They discuss inflation, growth, the impact of inadequate housing supply and the problem of relying so heavily on a few major industrial sectors. Plus: London correspondent Mark Paul reports on how the UK's economic situation is evolving under Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and Chancellor Jeremy Hunt. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

With Amazon announcing a further 9,000 jobs job cuts this week, and Workhuman’s plans to reduce its global workforce by 10%, it could be many weeks or even months before we learn how many Irish roles are affected. Business and technology journalist, Ciara O’Brien, analyses the latest retrenchment in the tech sector. Business reporter, Ian Curran, examines the potential risk of contagion following the bailout of Credit Suisse and the collapse of Silvergate, Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank in the US. Markets have reacted well to the Swiss deal but the wiping out of AT1 bonds, a key source of funding for Irish banks, could have implications here. Presented by Laura Slattery Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) last week has spooked financial markets, with global banking stocks dropping significantly as a result. With a new CEO at the helm, SVB is declaring ‘business as usual’, but the ripple effects of the bank’s failure can still be felt. To discuss the reasons behind the bank run and the wider implications on markets and the tech sector, Ciaran Hancock is joined by Irish Times columnist Chris Horn and Markets Correspondent Joe Brennan.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.