Inside Business with Ciaran Hancock
Episodes
Declining electric car sales: ‘depreciation is wild at the moment’
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Figures from the Society of the Irish Motor Industry this week showed that electric car sales are in reverse, falling by 14 per cent year on year in M...
In Profile: Barry Napier, Irish Times Business Person of the Year 2023
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In this episode of Inside Business host Ciarán Hancock is joined in studio by Chief executive and founder of Cubic Telecom, Barry Napier. In a wide-r...
What is behind Bitcoin's remarkable recovery?
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It feels like recent history repeating itself with TikTok again facing a ban in the US on national security grounds. A Bill passed through the House o...
Should banks be on the hook for access to cash into the future here?
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With the use of cash declining in recent years, a trend accelerated by the pandemic, the Access to Cash Bill is designed to manage future cash demand ...
Is Ireland in recession?
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With unemployment low, strong exchequer returns and an economy at full capacity, there isn’t much to suggest that Ireland has tipped into a recessio...
Why did Bank of Ireland shares plummet despite record profits?
28 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bank of Ireland were in the strange position on Monday of reporting pre-tax profits of €1.94bn for 2023, up from €1bn in 2022, but seeing their sh...
Germany in recession: What does it mean for Ireland and the EU?
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It was not good news for Europe’s largest economy on Monday when the Bundesbank announced during its regular monthly report that Germany was officia...
Electric vehicle prices are tumbling, but is it all good news for the customer?
14 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The high price of electric cars has long been seen as a barrier for those looking to switch from the traditional combustion-engine car to an EV, but t...
Vision Capital vs IRES REIT: trouble brewing at Ireland’s largest private landlord
07 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Next week the battle between listed property landlord IRES REIT and its 5% dissident shareholder Vision Capital will come to a head at an extraordinar...
‘It’s a fool who turns down money’
31 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
With ATMs now an endangered species, the Access to Cash Bill, recently announced by Minister for Finance Michael McGrath, would oblige banks to m...
‘To blame the lowest paid for challenges in our economy is cheap’
24 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Employers group Ibec’s chef executive Danny McCoy sent an open letter to Taoiseach Leo Varadkar on Monday calling for a pause on labour policy measu...
Is the restriction on passenger numbers at Dublin Airport doing untold damage to our economy?
17 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
New research commissioned by Aer Lingus points to the current restrictions on passenger capacity at Dublin Airport potentially costing the Irish econo...
Is it time to start building homes on Dublin’s main parks?
11 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Housing is undoubtedly the biggest domestic issue on the political agenda right now, with a focus recently on the long commutes being faced by workers...
Housing in 2024: ‘several more years before we see the quantity of houses we need’
03 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What awaits those looking to buy or sell property this year? Will the beginnings of an uplift in supply last year gain momentum in 2024? And will pric...
What’s in store for 2024?
27 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An Post CEO David McRedmond joins Ciarán Hancock to discuss a stellar year for the company with a move to a new HQ, a €30 million government loan r...
2023: The year in business
20 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the dust settling on 2023, Inside Business host Ciarán Hancock is joined by an esteemed panel to pore over the big stories from the world of med...
Are cheaper energy prices finally on the way for Irish consumers?
13 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Energy provider SSE Airtricity is set to cut its prices for the second time in recent months. Conor Pope joins Ciarán Hancock to discuss whether this...
IKEA's Irish store is its best performer globally
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
IKEA is one of the biggest retailers in the world and according to its latest sales results, IKEA’s store in Ballymun had over three million custome...
Christmas time is ‘make or break’ for booksellers
29 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
They are the ideal stock-filler - inexpensive, entertaining with a huge amount of choice, so it’s no surprise that Dubray Books shift a serious numb...
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About the Auto-Enrolment Pension Scheme * (*But Were Afraid to Ask)
22 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Government’s landmark auto-enrolment scheme for pensions has moved closer to being a reality with the Department of Social Protection now saying...
Will a new direction for RTÉ ensure the broadcaster’s long-term future?
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this week's episode of Inside Business, host Ciarán Hancock is joined by Irish Times journalist Laura Slattery to discuss the latest twist in...
How to balance the demands of a career and competitive sport
08 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With seven wins from the last ten championships, the Dublin football team are expected to be in the mix for the All-Ireland every year. Playing for Du...
Is the euro zone drifting into recession?
01 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With inflation dropping to its lowest levels in two years across the euro zone, 10 straight interest rate hikes from the European Central Bank se...
Could a Supreme Court decision have huge implications for workers in the gig economy?
25 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a decision that has important implications for workers in the gig economy here, a Supreme Court ruling last week found that delivery drivers for a ...
Will co-hosting Euro 2028 be of any real benefit to Irish football?
18 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With Ireland confirmed as co-hosts for Euro 2028 along with the UK, could the tournament be a catalyst for positive change when it comes to the standa...
Budget 2024: What it means for households and businesses
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 thre...
The cost of climate change: ‘almost like driving another budget through public finances’
04 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 decad...
Are the EU and China edging towards a trade war?
27 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 t...
‘These housing demand forecasts are not worth the paper they’re written on’
20 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joining Ciaran Hancock this week is Irish Times Economics Correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy who has the latest figures from the CSO, which point to ris...
Will Apple’s new iPhone 15 have consumers rushing to upgrade?
13 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After attending the glitzy launch of Apple’s new iPhone 15 range in California, Irish Times business and technology journalist Ciara O’Brien joins...
Budget 2024: 'You might have a bit of a bonanza in terms of one-off spending'
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 fro...
‘We are in unchartered waters on health insurance pricing’
30 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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, i...
‘There’s no farming without profit, it’ll be gone in the morning if there isn’t money’
23 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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...
Will ending the 9% VAT rate spell disaster for the hospitality sector?
16 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Challenging times ahead for Irish Stock Exchange as big companies look to the US
09 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With cement giant CRH shifting its primary listing to the New York stock exchange and noises that gambling group Flutter could soon follow s...
Accenture job cuts: Staff ‘distraught and devastated’ after announcement
02 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week Accenture announced they are to cut a further 890 staff from their Irish workforce. The news comes just months after their last round of red...
What are the big challenges facing the aviation sector post-pandemic?
26 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this week’s episode of Inside Business, Director General of the International Air Transport Association, Willie Walsh, and Founder and managing d...
The latte levy: ‘Consumers want to do the right thing’
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Will Government’s plan for a 20c tax on disposable coffee cups have the desired effect or could it end up hurting businesses? On this week’s episo...
The Irish economy has grown rapidly in recent years, how long can it continue?
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this week’s episode of Inside Business with Ciarán Hancock, Chief Economist at Davy, Conall MacCoille, explains why labour shortages and capacit...
What are the key challenges when attracting new investment here?
28 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On this week’s episode of Inside Business with Ciarán Hancock, IDA chief executive Michael Lohan tells us how housing, energy supply and a ready pi...
Is mortgage interest relief a really bad idea?
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the European Central Bank raising rates to a 22-year high, should Sinn Féin’s proposal for an introduction of mortgage interest relief be ente...
‘You can’t decarbonize without digitization, you can’t increase digitization without data centres’
14 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
With the latest CSO figures pointing to data centres in the Republic using as much electricity as urban households last year despite an effective mora...
Accountability for bankers and how it will work
07 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Fifteen years on from the 2008 financial crash, a new accountability regime is due to come into force in Ireland for senior executives in the financia...
'They are like heroin addicts, spending more and more money': The US debt ceiling explained
31 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the United States, the legislative limit on the amount of national debt that can be incurred by the US Treasury has reached its absolute limit. As ...
Crisp entrepreneur Tom Keogh on tasting success in a crowded market
24 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Tom Keogh delves into the 200-year history of his family's farm business in north county Dublin, the pivots those before him were forced to make, and ...
Norman Crowley on the business of decarbonisation
17 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Cork entrepreneur Norman Crowley has signed a deal with a leading global mining company to retrofit some 8,500 diesel mining trucks into electric vehi...
IT Business Person of the Year Barry Connolly on 'fulfilling' his business goals
10 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Should the League of Ireland be an all-island competition?
03 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The fact that winning the League of Ireland Premier Division is less lucrative than a UEFA Europa Conference League qualifying round tie speaks volume...
Why do some shareholders in the Republic's largest private residential landlord feel shortchanged?
26 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 s...
With only three big banks left, are Irish consumers bereft of choice?
19 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 compan...
‘Dysfunctional and illogical’: Developer Michael O’Flynn on Ireland’s new vacant land tax
12 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Corporation tax boost / Have we reached peak house prices?
05 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Despite a slowdown in the tech sector, Ireland’s corporation tax receipts are as healthy as ever. The latest exchequer returns show the Government c...
'We have a lot of eggs in few baskets' - does the positive outlook conceal threats to our economy?
29 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) has published a new report on Ireland's economic circumstances. Conor O'Toole, Associate Research Pr...
What the most recent tech cuts and bank runs could mean for Ireland
22 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
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 ...
Silicon Valley Bank: what is the cost of the collapse?
15 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) last week has spooked financial markets, with global banking stocks dropping significantly as a result. With...
Why are Irish companies shifting their stock listings to the United States?
08 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week's podcast is focussed on stock market and banking news. Host Ciaran Hancock is joined by Aidan Donnelly, Head of Equities at Davy and J...
Will the protocol deal bring prosperity to Northern Ireland?
01 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The deal is done between the UK and the EU to solve problems with the Northern Ireland protocol, and should it become operational, that deal means Nor...
What's in the new cost of living package? / Scams target Revolut users
22 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The government's latest package of cost of living measures includes extra cash payments to social welfare recipients and parents - but no further cont...
Irish jewellery designer Chupi: 'The divorce ring is a whole new category'
15 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Chupi Sweetman is the Irish jewellery designer on a mission to disrupt the diamond industry. The founder and CEO of her eponymous brand has just secur...
IT Business Person of the Year Barry Connolly: ‘I never really wanted to work for anyone else’
08 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Barry Connolly, the man who brought Red Bull and Kopparberg cider to Ireland has just been named the Irish Times Business Person of the Year. After gr...
Has the Central Bank let down Irish mortgage holders?
01 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Brendan Burgess joins the podcast to explain his critique of Central Bank policy on mortgage interest rates. It comes after Central Bank governor Gabr...
Does hybrid working and the tech slowdown mean we've reached 'peak office'?
25 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An increase in office stock, the switch to hybrid working, as well as job losses in the tech sector have contributed to a slowdown in the Dublin comme...
Davos: Politics, business and climate change converge at the WEF
18 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Climate change is one of the themes of this year’s World Economic Forum in Switzerland. Markets Correspondent, Joe Brennan, reports from Davos where...
What will a new insurer in the market mean for consumers?
11 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This week we got a look at two reports into economic activity in Ireland, one from Enterprise Ireland and the other from Bord Bia. Eoin Burke Kennedy ...
A look ahead to 2023
28 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What will 2023 have in store for the economy, the media landscape and the tech sector? Ciarán Hancock is joined by Irish Times business journali...
The Biggest business stories of 2022
21 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
2022: It was a year of soaring inflation, bumper corporation tax and the cost of living crisis. In the first of two episodes looking back on the bigge...
Post office quarrels / Drug dealing impacts city centre businesses
14 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
CEO of An Post David McRedmond joins Ciaran Hancock to discuss the ongoing row between An Post and the UK’s Post Office over the implementation of p...
Chinese interest in the ‘golden visa’ scheme surges
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Irish Times Current Affairs Editor Arthur Beesley joins Ciarán Hancock to discuss the recent spike in applications by wealthy Chinese citizens to the...
What will the easing of bankers’ pay restrictions do for competition dynamics?
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
After Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe's surprise move to ease restrictions on pay and bonuses in the banking sector, we look at what it might mean fo...
"We have a fundamental misunderstanding of our housing need."
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The need is well above the government's policy targets and we're obsessed with married people who are just about to have children, according to the au...
Musk's Twitter takeover troubles Irish regulators
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
On the podcast this week?: Ciara O'Brien on the troubles swirling around Twitter under the leadership of Elon Musk. The company this week met with the...
Is the tech crunch a correction or a calamity?
09 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The job losses announced by Meta and Stripe may provide an indication of layoffs across the tech sector. Inside Business is analysing the impact of th...
Is remote working putting Ireland's corporate tax take at risk?
02 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Government is facing a potential threat to some of its corporation tax revenues because people who worked remotely from abroad for Irish-based fir...
Calm after the storm for UK markets / Used-car prices on the rise
26 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Calm was finally restored within the UK markets this week, as Rishi Sunak took up his post as the new British Prime Minister. Aidan Donnelly, Associat...
Sean O’Driscoll of Cliste Hospitality: “There were a number of hoteliers charging rates that were indefensible”
19 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Growing up in Youghal, Co Cork, Sean O’Driscoll first “caught the bug” for the hospitality industry, while working behind the bar in his local h...
What can be done to ease the pressure on the restaurant industry?
12 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
All over the country, restaurants are being forced to close their doors, unable to function in the current economic climate. Fears are growing that cl...
Will interest rates peak sooner than expected?
05 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Although sterling has rallied since the British government’s mini-budget announcement, the bond market remains disturbed. All eyes are no...
Budget 2023: What it means for businesses and taxpayers
27 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Ciaran Hancock is joined by guests to analyse Budget 2023.On the panel:Cliff Taylor, Managing Editor, The Irish TimesSven Spollen-Behrens, Director, S...
Budget 2023: What to expect
21 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In part one of today's podcast, Jack Horgan-Jones and Cliff Taylor discuss next week's budget when the government is expected to deliver a huge packag...
What is behind big tech’s hiring slowdown?
14 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
A new employment survey by ManpowerGroup has shown that hiring intentions in Ireland’s tech sector have fallen dramatically. Rising interest r...
How are businesses coping with rising costs across the board?
07 Sep 2022
Contributed by Lukas
As a result of Europe’s ongoing energy crisis, Irish businesses are experiencing rising costs across the board. In this episode, Cliff Taylor speaks...
Energy crisis: Are businesses ready to deal with blackouts?
31 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Businesses are worried they’ll be forced to frontload high energy payments to finance temporary electricity generation this winter. Large energ...
Why are European stocks struggling? / Streaming services weigh up ads
24 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Investors are worried about energy prices, with those worries reflected in a series of bad sessions for European stocks this week.To understand what's...
What is the potential economic cost of a united Ireland? (From May 2021)
17 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Eoin Burke Kennedy from the Irish Times and DCU Professor John Doyle join Ciaran Hancock to discuss the potential economic impact of Irish reunificati...
Glenveagh CEO Stephen Garvey: “We put ourselves in the boots of the consumer”
10 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last week, Glenveagh Properties, one of the State’s largest homebuilders, faced criticism over a design plan they put forward to Minister Darragh O’...
The future of forecourts (originally published October 2021)
03 Aug 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In 2020 Maxol celebrated its 100th year in business, making it the oldest family run oil company in Ireland. As they prepare for their next 100 years ...
Will a European gas crunch affect Ireland?
27 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With the flow of Russian gas to Europe in ever more doubt this winter, the EU is grappling with how to ensure adequate energy supplies across its memb...
What an interest rate rise means for you
20 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The European Central Bank is expected to raise interest rates this week in an effort to dampen inflation. What will the move mean for consumers, mortg...
Interview: Martin Shanahan on leaving IDA Ireland
13 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Martin Shahahan has been at the helm of IDA Ireland since 2014, but will step down from his role as CEO in early 2023. Today he tells Cliff Taylor abo...
How far will a €6.7 billion budget package get us?
06 Jul 2022
Contributed by Lukas
UCC economics lecturer Seamus Coffey and Tom McDonnell Co-Director of the Nevin Economic Research Institute (NERI) join Cliff Taylor to discuss the Su...
Which direction are house prices going?
29 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Two housing reports delivered two different takes on the Irish property market in the past week. MyHome.ie, which is owned by The Irish Times, su...
Why are stock markets so volatile right now?
22 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Last week markets worldwide wobbled as investors fretted about a recession and aggressive monetary tightening by central banks.In addition, cryptocurr...
What happens to the Northern Ireland protocol now?
15 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
This week the UK introduced a Bill to unilaterally scrap the Northern Ireland protocol, the post-Brexit set of rules which govern Northern Irish trade...
How important is the ‘latte levy’ to our climate goals?
08 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Government plans to introduce a 20c tax on all single-use takeaway coffee cups in a bid to make Ireland the first country in the world to eliminat...
A turbulent recovery for tourism and air travel
01 Jun 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tourism and air travel have rebounded strongly in 2022 after two years of pandemic restrictions. But both are also facing major issues around pricing,...
No housing bubble brewing / Davos is back
25 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The European Commission says there's a limited risk of another housing bubble developing in Ireland due to stricter rules that have reduced risk in th...
Siteserv report / Should bankers be paid more?
18 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Irish Times current affairs editor Arthur Beesley has the latest on the Siteserv deal, following a seven-year inquiry into its sale to a company owned...
Are we heading for a global recession?
11 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With rampant inflation, rising interest rates and the continuing war in Ukraine, warnings about the potential for a global economic downturn are getti...
Ad Man Stuart Fogarty on disrupting the Irish market
04 May 2022
Contributed by Lukas
With his new company Admatic, chief executive Stuart Fogarty is seeking to disrupt the traditional advertising market in Ireland. It allows clients to...
Interview: Ex-Dalata boss Pat McCann on his busy retirement
27 Apr 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Dalata Hotel Group founder and former chief executive Pat McCann retired last year, after more than half a century in the hotel business. Last week Mr...