Breakfast Business

50 years ago a small collection of desert provinces ruled by emirs on the Arabian peninsula broke its links with Britain and formed a country called the United Arab Emirates. Now one of those emirates RAS Al Khaimah is hoping to put itself on the world tourism map - having been overshadowed somewhat by its richer fellow emirates: Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Raki Phillips is CEO of the UAE’s ‘Ras Al Khaimah’ Tourism Development Authority and joined Joe on the show.

You may not have heard of the German company Phoenix or even McKesson Europe. But you doubtless know its brands United Drug, Lloyds Pharmacy, Median Healthcare and TCP Homecare. The Phoenix purchase of McKesson makes it one of the biggest pharmacy retailers and wholesalers in Europe. But will it change anything for Irish consumers and companies? Paul Reilly, Chief Executive Officer of McKesson Ireland – now Phoenix IRL joined Joe on the show this morning.

Almost ¾ of a million homes in Ireland are heated using nonrenewable natural gas which also creates toxins in the environment. One possible solution to replacing that natural gas is biomethane. So Gas Networks Ireland which runs the pipes and cables into our homes - is seeking out ways to tap into that abundance and improve Ireland’s emissions to boot David Kelly Director of Customer and Business Development with Gas Networks Ireland joined Joe this morning.

Foodservice is the general term used for all food prepared and consumed outside of the home such as restaurants, pubs, hotels, coffee shops to workplace canteens, hospitals etc. A report from Bord Bia the state agency which supports the sale of Irish food - has found that while the industry has rebounded to pre-pandemic levels, there are many challenges ahead. Speaking to Joe this morning was Maureen Gahan from Bord Bia's Foodservice.

Business Editor Joe Lynam takes a run-through of some of the business stories today.

Web Summit 2022 is underway in Lisbon. Many startups from around the world will showcase in the exhibition hall, meeting with potential customers and investors. One of the Irish companies on site this year is VisionR, which looks to offer bricks and mortar retailers customer insights from their stores, similar to what e-commerce companies receive from cookies and analytical software. Co-founders Oran Mulvey and Shane O’Sullivan spoke to Newstalk’s Technology Correspondent, Jess Kelly about their business in Lisbon.

By mid-2026 33% of all board directors and 40% of all non-executive directors must be women. It raises the bar for many companies that may be in male-dominated industries traditionally. Polling from the institute of Directors here in Ireland has found that their members prefer targets rather than fixed quarters. For more on this Joe spoke to Caroline Spillane who is the Managing Director of the Institute of Directors.

We take a look at the main stories in this morning's newspapers.

EY is in the top 4 consultants and bookkeepers in the world and they've just voted to split the company in two. Here in Ireland the firm is on a hiring spree and is looking to place 900 additional staff over the next year. EY like so many firms has its finger on the pulse of many sectors and who better to tell us how things are out there in the economy than Frank O'Keefe - EY’s Managing Partner.

A new law coming into force in January will have a notable impact on employers. It concerns a protected disclosure from employees who are usually known as whistleblowers and it means that if staff see wrongdoing, they can report it and not be fired. .  For more on this Joe spoke to Linda Hynes, Partner in Employment Law at Lewis Silkin’s Dublin office. 

Joe Lynam takes a look at today's business papers and markets.

Laura Bourke is a female entrepreneur with a passion for getting more women into the workforce. Laura is the founder of Aspire Recruitment and Flexi Desk and president of Network Ireland Tipperary and spoke to Jonathan this morning.

21% of Irish Firms have been affected by the threat of cyber or invoice fraud and this figure rises dramatically to 70% for large companies employing more than 100 people. That’s according to new research commissioned by Leinster-based general insurance and financial planning broker LHK group. Colm Kelleher is the Managing Director of LHK Group and joined Jonathan this morning on the show.

Aidan Donnelly from Davy for a look at some of the business news in the papers this morning.

The European Central Bank will deliver another major interest rates hike today to tackle soaring inflation, as Eurozone countries succumb to recession. What does it mean for us, costumes? Jonathan asked Shane Quinlan, Economist and Managing Director of Financial Services Sherry Fitzgerald.

Irish employees are strongly interested in professional development and investing in their upskilling, according to the new report released by UCD Professional Academy. What should be done to make our workforce more competitive? Aaron McKenna, CEO of UCD Professional Academy told Jonathan on the show this morning.

Jonathan Healy takes a look at some of the main business stories this morning.

Irish costumers are eating out less often and they are cutting out on grocery shopping buy choosing cheaper brands to tackle rising costs of living, according to the report recently released by Paypal. Is this self-imposed frugality affecting the hospitality sector? Let’s ask Adrian Cummins, CEO of the Restaurant Association of Ireland joined Jonathan this morning to discuss these findings.

If there’s a brand more synonymous with traveling to Ireland, it is CIE Tours. The country’s leading tour operator celebrates its 90 years on the market. So how is the business doing 90 years on? Stephen Cotter Chief Operations Officer, CIE Tours International, joined Jonathan on the show.

This morning Jonathan Healy runs through some of this morning's main business stories.