Breakfast Business

Investment in Irish commercial property could reach €4 billion this year which would be a 60% jump on what was invested in 2025. Included in that is an estimated €1.5 billion investment in the private rental sector. They are among the views of the real estate company CBRE, which has published its assessment for 2026. Colin Richardson, director and head of research with CBRE, joined Joe Lynam on the show to discuss.

Wednesday's business news headlines with Joe Lynam.

St Patrick's Day has come a long way from shivering majorettes and the local accordion bands winding their way through the wet streets of our cities. Now it’s a 4-day festival, very much aimed at an international audience. In fact, more than a quarter of a million visitors come to these shores in mid-March, expressly to experience a St Patrick's Day parade. But with a weak dollar and all sorts of geopolitical stress, will this year’s festival match recent years?  Richard Tierney, Director of the St Patrick's Festival, joined Joe Lynam on the show to discuss.

So it looks like the highly controversial trade agreement hammered out in July between Trump and Commission President Ursula Von der Leyen may be toast. The European Parliament won't vote to approve it now that Trump has threatened additional tariffs on 8 European nations for not supporting his bid to annex Greenland. Expect the markets in Europe to be all over the shop this week in response. But maybe Europe might also finally stop its appeasement of Trump this week by triggering the Anti Coercion Instrument.Michael OSullivan, director of UNIO wealth managers and author of the book “The Levelling“ and who is giving a lecture later today in UCC about this very topic joined Joe Lynam on the show to discuss.

Monday's business news review with Joe Jynam and Russ Mould from AJ Bell.

It's Friday's business news review along with Newstalk's Business Editor Joe Lynam and Kate English Chief Economist with Deloitte.

Fitting out the modern office is not a cheap business.  Standards and regulations are much higher than even 10 years ago and include sound proofing, thermal dynamics, functionality and of course aesthetics.  But what about sustainability? Robert Trench is the co owner of Future Office  offers the most modern looking office decor but all of it has been reclaimed or repurposed from something else.

This week saw Diageo announce another 20 cent price rise for a pint of Guinness the 5th price rise in 3 years from the drinks giant.  In contrast the Changing Times brewery which is owned by some of the biggest publicans in Ireland including McSorley's and Doheny’s said there was no need for raising prices.Joe was joined on the show to discuss further by Pat Rigney the boss of Drumshanbo gin and one of the co-founder of the Changing Times brewery. 

Over the weekend the Trump administration launched criminal proceedings against the chair of the US Central Bank the Federal Reserve  It was a clear attack on Jerone Powell’s and the Fed’s independence because they have failed to cut interest rates at a pace desired by the President.  The wider central banking community including the ECB and the Bank of International settlements have come out in support.To discuss further Joe spoke to the Independent economist David Higgins.

Business news headlines review along with Newstalk Business Editor Joe Lynam.

Companies in the hospitality sector were the main winners in the budget last Oct.  Innovators were also winners but many SMEs weren't happy to have to pay higher minimum wages on top of holiday and sickness pay and now set aside money for workplace pensions.  Now the Small Firms association has launched a strategy which it says will help smaller companies survive, grow and thrive.  It’s a 3 year plan and includes a suggestion to create a new State run bank specially for SMEs.   To chat all about their plan was David Broderick, Director of the Small Firms Association. 

Wholesale gas prices are coming down in Europe, but energy prices for consumers and companies have yet to start falling appreciably. In fact, high Irish fuel prices are very much at the top of all European charts once you include levies and green taxes. According to DoneDeal, we’re the 3rd most expensive for diesel in the EU and 5th for petrol. But we’re 13th if you strip out climate levies, excise duties, and other taxes applied by the government. All this makes the decision to buy your next car an important one.Paddy Comyn, Head of comms with DoneDeal Cars, joined Joe Lynam on the show to discuss. 

All is not well in the world of taxis these days. Consumers aren't happy at the rapidly rising cost of hiring a cab using apps, and drivers aren't happy about the commissions they are being charged by the 2 biggest apps, Freenow and Uber. My next guest is offering an alternative, which he says will benefit both the consumer and the driver. It’s an app called Hola, and drivers only pay a flat €1 per journey while using the service, and no commission. Drivers can even buy a share of the business. Kamal Gill, is the founder of Hola Taxi and joined Joe Lynam on the show this morning. 

Wednesday's business news review with Joe Lynam.

Docusign enables very important documents to be signed digitally and not manually.  In doing so it removes tons of wasted paper, millions in wasted postage and countless hours in wasted time.. The San Francisco-based company is marking a decade in Ireland with a new investment in AI technology here.  Violeta Martin, Vice President, Commercial Sales EMEA with Docusign. 

Monday's business news review with Joe Lynam and Kathleen Brooks from XTB.

If you’re wondering where Leo Clancy the former boss of Enterprise Ireland went when he stepped down from the State exporting body last year. He went to Shannon to run the largest indigenous electronics manufacturing company in Ireland, the smoke alarm maker EI. EI is also one of the biggest employers west of the Shannon and it's a bell weather for the Irish exporting sector.  Joe caught up with Leo Clancy and discussed what the big issues are for the global economy.

Later today the US Supreme Court will decide whether Trump’s unilateral tariffs are legal or whether they should have been agreed in advance with Congress.  They are Trump’s signature trade policy, and he claims they have earned the US government around $600bn so far.  They may even force Trump to change how he threatens other nations with tariffs in future.  Or he could simply ignore his own Supreme Court. All to discuss with Prof Valerio Poti is an expert on International Trade with UCD. 

Friday's business markets and news along with Joe Lynam and Aidan Donnelly from Davys.

The Young Scientists exhibition launched this week. For the first time ever the event is sponsored by someone who actually won the main prize a few years ago: Patrick and John Collison i.e. the founders of Stripe.  Needless to say the show is filled with some very bright and able young men and women who will be the inventors and business leaders of the future.   There might even be a future Stripe or Google or Tiktok among the participants.  All to chat with Eileen O’Mara is Chief Revenue Officer with Stripe.