Breakfast Business

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. 

This time last year house prices were almost rising in double digit inflationary levels. But as we start 2026 they appear to have stabilised.  According to MyHome.ie, they are still rising robustly but by a more controlled 5.4% nationwide and a smidgeon higher outside the capital.Joe discusses the findings from the Myhome.ie report with Conall MacCoille is the Author of the and Chief Economist with Bank of Ireland.

It was only announced last spring and hasn’t even applied for planning permission but already the proposed ice arena . To be called Prime Arena is getting the backing of some major business organisations. The employers lobby group IBEC, the Telecoms giant EIR and the Olympic Federation of Ireland have come out in public support for the project. But will it ever get off the ground? Dermot Rigley is the man driving the show for the Prime Arena joined Joe in studio to chat all about the project.

Thursday business news headlines with Joe Lynam.

ECB interest rates are on hold for now but many believe their next move might be upwards. Indeed the non-bank lender ICS raised its rates yesterday.  Today, Avant Money, which is owned by the Spanish lender Bankinter, says that it’s cutting its mortgage rates. It comes as the entire sector faces a shakeup from the arrival of Monzo to Ireland and the sale of PTSB at some stage. With more on this Joe was joined in studio by Brian Lande is the head of mortgages with Avant Money.

The construction industry employs almost 200,000 people in Ireland but worryingly has had to send some of its workers overseas over the past two years because planning delays left many of them with nothing to do.  Now the sector is looking forward to the speeding up of infrastructure delivery following the major action plan released last month.  But does the sector have the capacity to rapidly ramp up? Joe discusses this and more with Andrew Brownlee is the new Director General of the Construction industry Federation .

Wednesday's business headlines with Joe Lynam.

We know now that Ireland had a better 2025 than it had feared 12 months ago.  Much of that was down to large companies in the FDI sector having a great year despite tariffs.  But how are medium sized companies especially domestic businesses getting on and how will the new geopolitical chaos affect them?  Joe discusses this with Neil Hughes the Chief Executive of Azets Ireland. 

 According to OPEC Venezuela has the world’s largest deposits of untapped reserves. But the infrastructure to get it out of the ground there is decrepit and it could take years and billions of investment to start pumping it.  So, what should we expect on the global oil markets, bearing in mind prices are already at relatively low levels?  All to discuss with Robert Maxwell Energy Consultants with DNV. 

Tuesday's business news review with Newstalk's Business Editor Joe Lynam.

From the sale of PTSB to the introduction of mortgage lending by Revolut, 2026 is set to be a busy year in the world of banking. With us to explain more is John Cronin, Founder & Research Analyst at SeaPoint Insights. 

Market and business news review with Russ Mould from  AJ Bell.