Breakfast Business

A look at Friday's business markets and news with Michael O'Sullivan from Unio Wealth Advisers .

The good news is that our trust in food safety is rising but the bad news is that 3 quarters of companies are increasingly concerned with the cost of food production.  On top of that roughly half are worried about acquiring or retaining staff in the food sector. It’s all in the latest comprehensive study from the Food Safety Authority of Ireland and comes after it effectively shut down the Iceland chain of food stores last year over safety. To discuss their findings was the Chief Executive of the FSAI.

 In a few hours the CSO will publish its latest assessment of the economic well-being or not for each county in Ireland. It’s expected to show that Dublin is still way ahead of the regions, but it may also say that there is plenty of investment outside the capital especially from the IDA and the local development offices  John Daly is the Economist with the Northern & Western Regional Assembly and joined Joe ahead of the publication.

A look at today's business pages and websites with Newstalk's Business Editor Joe Lynam.

For those of you who don't know, 3D printing is the process of layering polymers to form shapes defined by a piece of software.  Its potential is huge but because the process is so time consuming, it hasn't taken off yet.  Now there’s an online course in 3D printing starting at the South East Technological University formerly known as Waterford and Carlow RTCs. David Alarco is the programme leader at SETU and he joined Joe on the show this morning.

There is a severe shortage of places to rent in this country.  Not only is that pushing up rents but it’s also creating nefarious people to pretend they are landlords and take deposits without actually providing the accommodation.  Now there’s an Irish startup called Rent Dodo which helps both tenants and landlords with the verification process and speaking to Joe was Conor McGarry is the founder and CEO.

A look at today's business stories and websites with Newstalk Business Editor Joe Lynam.

If you've ever despaired waiting for a bus which doesn't arrive despite what various apps and even the real time arrivals board tells you.  CitySwift is a Galway based technology company which tracks buses and provides the company and ultimately the consumer with more accurate times. Joining Joe this morning was Brian O’Rourke the Chief Executive of Cityswift which just received an extra €5m in funding from Gresham House Ventures last week. 

Using GDP as a measure of economic growth, the Irish economy shrank by a whopping 3.4% over the past 5 consecutive quarters.  But since that number is wildly distorted by profit repatriation from foreign multinationals based here, GDP is not taken as a serious measure of economic activity here.  One of the preferred measures is Modified Domestic Demand and according to Bank of Ireland’s forecasts, MDD will grow by 2.3% this year and 3% in 2025.  Speaking to Joe this morning was Conall Mac Coille the Chief Economist with Bank of Ireland.  

We take a look at the big business stories this Monday morning with Joe Lynam.

 Auto Enrolment starts for all large Irish companies this year.  It means employees have to actively opt OUT of a workplace savings scheme instead of opting in. For some employers it’s an added layer of cost and red tape on top of higher minimum wages, holiday and sickness pay. So is it all worth it?  Irish Life is the biggest provider of life insurance so needless to say it thinks it’s a great idea.   Shane O’Farrell from Irish Life discuss this further with Joe this morning.

Do you have an EV and suffer from range anxiety or perhaps you're toying with getting a battery powered car but worry about the lack of charging infrastructure which will leave you stranded with no power? Or you live in an apartment and can't charge your car overnight. There’s no doubt that there aren't enough fast charging points publicly available in Ireland but perhaps an Irish startup has a decent idea about how you might be able to charge up in someone’s private driveway nearby.  Maebh Reynolds, Co-Founder and CEO of GoPlugable which wants to be the Airbnb for car charging and joined Joe this morning.

A look at today's business stories and websites with Joe Lynam and Dan Maroney from RBC Brewin Dolphin.

2 years ago, we had never heard of ChatGPT.  10 years ago, there was no TikTok and 25 years ago there was no Google, YouTube, Facebook, Bitcoin, Netflix, WhatsApp, Amazon, zoom, Airbnb, or Uber.  It all shows how quickly technology can come and go.  But the technology firms that have made it have inordinate power these days and often decide elections more than politicians.  So let's take time to talk about technology and where it’s going with Ben Barringer, Global Technology Analyst / Executive Director with Quilter Cheviot.

It is the oldest international rugby competition in the world dating back almost a century and a half. It’s also one of the most fiercely contested and the source of great banter between six of Europe’s oldest nations. The six Nations rugby championships which starts tomorrow when Ireland travel to Marseille to play France. The Six Nations is a big business as well as a big tournament. Its chair is Ronan Dunne who is the guy who presented the trophy to Johnny Sexton in Dublin last year. 

A look at today's business stories with Newstalk Business Editor Joe Lynam.

The latest semi-annual report shows a 33% increase in loan values to €1.6bn, funding 8,500 new homes in the past six months. Joe sits down with Dara Deering, the Chief Executive of Home Builders Finance Ireland (HBFI) to break down the details and implications of these figures.

Joe Lynam discusses into the future of work with Russell Beck, author of "The World of Work to 2030: A Practical Guide to Future-Proofing Your Business and Your Career." Beck emphasises the growing significance of flexible working, AI, and people management by the decade's end. However, he questions whether companies are ready and financially equipped to tackle these imminent challenges.The book is available to purchase at https://linktr.ee/wowt2030

Newstalk's Business Editor Joe Lynam takes look at today's business stories and websites.

Today, Finance Minister Michael McGrath will present to MEPs in Brussels, advocating for Ireland as the ideal host for the EU's new anti-money laundering agency. Facing competition from major players like Germany and France, McGrath must overcome Ireland's reputation as a "Tax Haven." Stephen Rae, publisher of Anti-Money Laundering Intelligence, joins Joe Lynam from Brussels to assess Ireland's chances and discuss the presentations.