Breakfast Business

Thursday's business news headlines along with Joe Lynam.

Joe Lynam brings us Wednesday's business headlines and news.

The South African insurer Outsurance has been on the Irish market for a year selling home and motor insurance.  Now business is obviously good enough to warrant hiring an additional 100 staff here. Joe spoke to Peter Broom the chief executive of OUTsurance Ireland about their business.

The business lobby group IBEC has some clear ideas for the Enterprise Minister Peter Burke about what should be done when it comes to beefing up Ireland’s skill sets, speeding up Infrastructure delivery as well as cutting down on red tape. IBEC also thinks that spending on infrastructure should come before any tax cuts. Fergal O’Brien Executive Director of Lobbying and Influence at IBEC spoke to Joe this morning. 

Thursday's business news headlines along with Joe Lynam.

The Irish Management Institute has new owners.  UCC has sold its share to the publishers of the Business Post.  The IMI joins a stable of brands including Red C research and iQuest experiences and certainly diversifies and broadens the portfolio.  But will the investment pay off in a world of AI learning?  All to discuss with Enda O’Coineen, Publisher and CEO of the Kilcullen Business Post Group. 

Martin Dubbey is a former detective turned corporate investigations sleuth who tracks down beneficial owners and information that companies might want to hide.  His business Harod also featured in the movie which exposed Russian doping cheats. Martin Dubbey the Managing Director of Harod Associates explained his business to Joe this morning on the show.

Ryanair has just posted its full year results for the financial year 2025.  They made a post tax profit of €1.62bn down 16% on the previous year.  Average fares were also down 7% over the past 12 months. The airline carried a record 200m passengers and bought back 7% of their own shares Neil Sorahan. Group Chief Financial Officer discussed the report findings with Joe.

Are we back to crazy levels of borrowing?  This comes as the foreign banks based here express confidence in Ireland as a base for investment.  Employment by the international banking sector is up by a fifth on pre Covid levels. All to discuss with Brian Hayes the Chief Executive of the Banking and Payments Federations Ireland.  

Monday business news and markets along with Ross Mould from AJ Bell.

Joe Lynam and Austin Hughes from AJ Bell brings us all the national and international business news this morning.

We are 5 months or so away from the budget this autumn but already positions are being staked out.  For its part, the government has already said there won't be as many giveaways as last autumn due to the tariff war and global uncertainty.  But already some sectors are setting out their wish list.  Deloitte says Capital Gains taxes are too high and a disincentive to invest here.  It also wants AI and decarbonisation tax credits. To discuss this and more Joe was joined on the show by Daryl Hanberry Partner and Head of Tax & Legal for Deloitte. 

The Ireland Strategic Investment Fund is in effect Ireland’s sovereign wealth fund worth just under €15bn and designed to generate returns for taxpayers.  ISIF, which is part of the National treasury management Agency, is very distinct from the new Future Ireland Fund which was set up last year.   Joining Joe this morning on the show was Nick Ashmore the Chief Executive of the ISIF.

What do you get when you merge the words Water and Vinyl? You get Wavin one of the world’s most famous pipe and ducting companies.    Wavin has been in Ireland for decades in Balbriggan. But it no longer makes any of those famous orange pipes here.  They come from Britain these days.  But it is moving to a new logistics centre and customer facility in North County Dublin. Speaking to Joe this morning was Michael O’Donoghue the Commercial Director of Wavin. 

On Monday next week Keir Starmer will host a major EU delegation as part of what is shaping up to be a major reset of UK EU relations.  There have already been hints at what might be agreed including a youth mobility scheme as well as a new and deeper Defence pact. The UK government still says that rejoining the Single market or the Customs Union are red lines that won't be crossed. Joe discusses this and more with Marie Doyle President of the British Irish Chamber of Commerce. 

Thursday's business news headlines along with Joe Lynam.

On paper at least the 2 richest economies in the EU are also among the smallest:  Ireland and Luxembourg.  Our economy relies on technology and pharma of course but it’s also a major player in fund management.  Our biggest European rival to lure these big global pension funds is Luxembourg whose regulator might be seen as more relaxed than our Central bank.  Both nations have been accused of being tax havens.  But are they?  Speaking to Joe in studio this morning was Quentin Werlé, head of portfolio management at the Luxembourg advisers 6 Monks which specialises in cryptocurrencies. 

t’s nestled in the foothills of the Dublin mountains and is a hive of science, adventure and learning.  It’s 112,000 sq ft and it’s a year since it reopened after Covid.  The Explorium science immersion museum in Ballinteer is already the 9th most visited tourist site in Ireland and aims to become the nationally recognised Children's science centre. But it was a long bureaucratic journey to reopen and now there’s talk of a rival city centre museum as well. Charlie Kelly is the owner and Managing Director of Explorium Science Museum joined Joe this morning on the show.

Wednesday's business headlines and news along with Joe Lynam.

They are called Dub 20 and Dub 30. They are the latest large data centres to be opened by the Taoiseach in Arklow in Co Wicklow.  They claim to be the most sustainable data centres in Ireland and will feed almost as much energy into the grid as they will take out.  But the planning process took 7 years and a trip to the High Court. Newstalk's Alex Rowley caught up with  Graham McWilliams, co-founder and Chief Operating Officer of Echelon Data Centers and began by asking him about the green credentials of Dub20 and 30 .