For this week’s episode, host Ciarán Hancock Is joined by an expert panel to look forward to 2026.

After another record-breaking year for corporate tax receipts, is there now a real threat of concentration risk in the Irish economy?

A huge amount of money has been raised and spent on AI, but where is it at in terms of its development? When will investors start looking for a tangible return?

And will Donald Trump turn his attention back to economic matters after moves to end the conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine? Could more tariffs be on the way in 2026?

The panel comprises CEO of the Sherry Fitzgerald Group, Marian Finnegan, tech entrepreneur and columnist at the Irish Times, Chris Horn, and Irish Times Economics Correspondent, Eoin Burke-Kennedy.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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For this episode of Inside Business, host Ciarán Hancock is joined by a panel of experts to discuss the major stories of 2025.

A busy year in markets was dominated by US president Donald Trump’s threats to impose huge tariffs on the United States’ trading partners, including Ireland.

Ireland’s housing crisis showed no sign of improvement with completions trending well below Government targets.

And another record-breaking year for corporate tax receipts, coupled with Ireland's gross domestic product (GDP) growing exceptionally by over 10%, meant that the economy is in rude health as we head into 2026.

The panel comprises Aidan Donnelly, Head of Global Equities at Davy, Susan Hayes Culleton, Managing Director, HayesCulleton Group, and Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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On this week’s episode of Inside Business, host Ciarán Hancock is joined by Chairman of the Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (Ifac) Seamus Coffey to discuss his concerns on how the Government is spending our corporation tax windfall.

Ifac were this week in front of the Oireachtas Budgetary Committee giving its view on how that windfall is being spent. The corporation tax receipts for November topped €10 billion, the highest figure ever generated in a single month, with the overall figure for the year expected to hit a record €32 billion.

Ifac argues that the Government is not saving enough of this bounty for a rainy day. Just 15 per cent of the projected €34 billion of corporation tax receipts for next year will effectively be squirreled away. That is just half the level of this year and was described as “risky” by Ifac.

This week Fiona Reddan was writing about 50-year mortgages and posed the question as to whether they might be a solution to help first-time buyers here get on the property ladder.

Donald Trump has described them as a potential “game changer”, but are they a good idea?

Joey Sheahan is head of credit at MyMortgages.ie and he joined Ciarán to outline whether 50-year mortgages were worth considering here.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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The latest report from the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland shows that only the top 20 per cent of earners can afford to rent an average apartment built in Ireland in 2025, while just the top 40 per cent of earners can afford to buy one.

Paul Mitchell, a chartered quantity surveyor and one of the authors of the Real Costs of New Apartment Delivery report, joins host Ciarán Hancock and Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times to drill down into the main findings of the report.

And despite the numerous Government interventions, the cost of building apartments has soared in recent years, but Paul Mitchell is adamant that this report is actually a good news story.

Produced by John with JJ Vernon on sound.

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On this week’s episode of Inside Business, we look at the sluggish delivery of large and necessary infrastructure projects that has been a feature of several successive Governments.

A population surge means building more and better infrastructure for transport, water and housing has become increasingly urgent.

The Government unveiled a new plan this week. The Accelerating Infrastructure Taskforce contains 30 actions and deadlines by which projects have to be completed.

This comes at a time when there are legal delays to the Greater Dublin Drainage project, and potentially to the capital’s MetroLink too.

To get some insight into whether a plan like this can address the key issues holding back delivery, host Cliff Taylor was joined on the line by taskforce member and Chairperson of IDA Ireland, Feargal O’Rourke.

Also in this episode, Irish Times Deputy Business Editor Dominic Coyle on the new pension auto-enrolment scheme 'My Future Fund' which begins on 1 January.

How many employees will be opted in? Are companies ready? What are the concerns of employer groups like Ibec? And are employers already gaming the system?

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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On this week’s Inside Business, host Ciarán Hancock is joined in studio by senior lecturer in housing at TUD Dublin, Lorcan Sirr.

The episode starts with some recent good news, that the net wealth of Irish households is nearly €1.3 trillion, or an average of €228,000 each.

Sounds good but as Lorcan explains, this is an illusion. He argues that Ireland isn’t really a wealthy country in spite of what the statistics tell us.

Lorcan also touches on the housing crisis in its many forms and goes through some possible solutions. And he does have some solutions.

He also explains why he thinks judicial reviews of planning decisions haven’t caused the housing crisis.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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On this week’s episode of Inside Business, we look at the role of AI in the hiring and firing of workers.

Host Ciarán Hancock is joined on the podcast by Ciara O’Brien of the Irish Times to discuss why Amazon recently announced 14,000 job cuts globally as it seeks to trim expenses. Is this being driven solely by AI?

Well, in an update to staff in June, Amazon chief executive Andy Jassy stated the company would reduce jobs in some areas while it hired in others. And more AI would mean fewer corporate staff at Amazon, with the slack being picked up by generative AI and high-tech agents.

Separately, we have new research from hiring platform Greenhouse which suggests that AI has created a ‘doom loop’ between applicants and those who are hiring. Irish Times Work Correspondent Emmet Malone explains the issue, along with the new phenomenon of fake job postings.

Plus, Ciarán is joined in studio by Darryl Byrne, Chief Executive of Irish stock exchange operator Euronext Dublin, to discuss the future of the market here and a proposal he has put forward to introduce a future-focused SIA (Savings Investment Account).

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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This week on Inside Business host Ciarán Hancock is joined in studio by Gary McGann, a grandee of Irish business whose many roles included being chief executive of drinks group Gilbeys, Aer Lingus and packaging group Smurfit.

Born and raised in Dublin, Gary actually began his career in the civil service, with the Comptroller & Auditor General.

He studied at night to become an accountant and later moved into the private sector, rising up the ranks and moving around to eventually become CEO of Smurfit in 2002.

He has also had a busy career as a non-executive director, including roles with Anglo Irish Bank at the time of its collapse, and with bakery goods group Arytza, at a challenging time for that business.

We covered a lot of ground in this interview. You’ll hear Gary talk about his childhood, his time in school and a couple of false starts in university.

We also take a deep dive into his business careers, the highs and the lows. And he gives Ciarán his perspective on the current state of the Irish economy, and what we could be doing better. Along with some tips for young business leaders starting out in their careers.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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This week’s episode of Inside Business sees host Ciarán Hancock joined in studio by Niall Tallon, chief executive of Irish telecoms group Imagine.

A minor in the Irish market, the company recently made a bold move offering cheap fibre broadband products along with a promise not to increase those prices for the next five years.

This is designed to double its customer base by 2030 as part of a multi-million investment in growing the business.

It’s a brave strategy given that Imagine has just 35,000 existing customers and big competitors such as Eir, Vodafone, Three and Virgin Media who control a large chunk of the market between them.

Niall explains how the offer will work and the business case behind it, as well as discussing the company’s Armenian owners and how he came to run a telco with a chequered history that was originally founded by the late Irish entrepreneur Sean Bolger.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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This week’s guest on Inside Business is Tom O’Brien, group chief executive of Nephin Energy.

Nephin owns 43 per cent of the Corrib gas field off the west coast of Ireland and also has ambitious plans to develop a network of agri-based biomethane plants across the country.

While gas is a polluting fuel it continues to be an important part of our energy mix.

Tom joins host Ciarán Hancock in studio to talk about the chances of extending the lifetime of the Corrib field, why biomethane is a potential win-win for the country, the future of offshore wind as a natural resource for Ireland, and whether gas prices are likely to go up or down over the next couple of years.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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There is research from Brussels think tank Transport & Environment suggesting that plug-in hybrids are just as polluting as petrol cars.

Neil Briscoe is a motoring expert and writes extensively on this for The Irish Times. And given his knowledge of motoring and our transition to EVs, were the findings a surprise to him?

In the second part of the podcast, host Ciarán Hancock speaks to Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times about an upgrade to Irish growth forecasts by stockbroker Goodbody and some research from Ibec on hybrid working, suggesting that employees are expected to attend the office on more days each week.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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On this episode of Inside Business host Ciarán Hancock is joined in studio by Billy Hann, chief executive of Dublin Bus, the biggest public transport company in our capital city.

He joined the State-owned operator almost three years ago after a long career with the Irish Aviation Authority and is charged with leading a company that now transports more than 160 million passengers a year.

He has a busy agenda, with challenges including difficulties in the recruitment of drivers and mechanics, traffic congestion, the switch to a fleet of EVs, and countering anti-social behaviour.

Billy also discusses how Dublin Bus was currently performing and whether the busy Christmas period was a positive or negative for the company.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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Ciarán Hancock is joined by guests to pore over the main elements of Budget 2026.

The €9.4 billion package includes a minimum wage increase of 65c to €14.15c per hour, a €10 across-the-board increase to core weekly welfare payments, but no once-offs like double child benefit payments and electricity credits.

On the panel:

Cliff Taylor, Managing Editor, The Irish Times

Frank O’Neill, Tax Partner, EY Ireland

Sean Collender, President of the Restaurants Association of Ireland

Ellen Coyne, Political Correspondent, The Irish Times

Produced by John Casey.

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Ireland’s national soccer team will slide down the international rankings unless significant investment is made in the League of Ireland’s academy system, according to the league’s director Mark Scanlon.

He has submitted a proposal to the Department of Finance ahead of Tuesday’s budget requesting €4m annually, rising to €8m after two years to be spread across Ireland’s 26 soccer academies.

Mr Scanlon said the system in Ireland remains heavily reliant on volunteers, stunting the sport’s growth despite years of strong audiences and revenues.

His plan includes three new full-time roles directing academy soccer across Ireland.

On today’s podcast Ciarán Hancock is joined by Mr Scanlon and Irish Times Soccer Correspondent Gavin Cummiskey.

Produced by Declan Conlon and Andrew McNair, with JJ Vernon on sound. 

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The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Minnesota Vikings at Croke Park this weekend in the first regular-season NFL game to take place on Irish shores.

Dublin is now part of a growing roster of cities outside the United States hosting lucrative NFL games.

Irishman Paul Holland has worked in the sports marketing industry for many years and has charted the financial rise of the NFL and how it dwarfs other sports.

He joined host Ciarán Hancock in studio to discuss the financial impact of this game coming to Dublin.

Plus, last week Donald Trump surprised us all by slapping a $100,000 fee on a key foreign worker visa used by Big Tech companies in Silicon Valley.

Colin Gleeson covered the story and joined Ciarán in studio to discuss its implications for Big Tech firms and for Irish workers based in Silicon Valley.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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First up on the Inside Business podcast this week, the rift between the board of the DAA, the State-owned operator of Dublin and Cork airports, and its CEO Kenny Jacobs.

The Irish Times reported yesterday that a deal has been agreed between the two sides that will see Jacobs leave his role early with a €1m exit package.

Joe Brennan and Martin Wall of The Irish Times have been covering the story and joined host Ciarán Hancock in studio to discuss the background to the rift.

Also on the podcast, Conor Pope, Irish Times Consumer Affairs Correspondent, discusses new research from the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission, which shows that one in four Irish adults have no financial arrangements in place for their retirement.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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With the budget just under a month away, what will ministers Paschal Donohoe and Jack Chambers deliver on October 7th?

The one-off cost-of-living measures of recent budgets may be discontinued, but what will be in their place to help families feeling the pinch? Will there be tax cuts? And what can renters and those looking to buy a home expect?

Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times joined host Ciarán Hancock in studio to discuss.

Plus, the three main Irish banks this week launched Zippay, an instant payments feature that they hope will launch next year. But will it be enough to win the battle with Revolut for Irish people’s digital wallets, especially as Revolut already has 3m Irish customers.

Irish digital banking expert and CEO at InclusionFS, Brian Carroll, has helped to launch neobanks in a number of countries and he joined Ciarán on the line to discuss the timing of the launch and whether the Irish banks can beat Revolut at their own game.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon.

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First up on Inside Business this week is the plight of independent Irish breweries, who, like so many now, are finding the cost of doing business to be far too high.

This is despite an explosion in the popularity of craft beers here in the last decade.

What costs are forcing some operators out of business? How are they coping with competition from far larger, commercial breweries? And will these increasing costs be passed onto consumers?

To get into all this, host Cliff Taylor was joined by Irish Times Business Reporter Hugh Dooley and founder and chief executive of the Carlow Brewing Company, Seamus O’Hara.

Plus, it’s a deal decades in the making and would seem to make sense in the context of the aggressive tariffs imposed on the EU and Latin American countries by Donald Trump.

And the expectation is that the EU Commission will try to ratify the Mercosur trade deal despite push back from several EU countries, not least Ireland.

But why is the trade deal so divisive and what impact could it have here if it goes ahead?

Irish Times acting Europe Correspondent Jack Power joined Cliff on the line from Brussels.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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The predictably slow delivery of infrastructure here has a raft of negative consequences, not least how it undermines our competitiveness in a very challenging global environment.

So why are vital projects so slow to get over the line? How does Government prioritise one project over another? And what can be done to streamline the planning process?

To get into the causes and some potential solutions to these issues, host Cliff Taylor was joined by chair of the National Competitiveness and Productivity Council Frances Ruane.

And from air fryers and skiing gear in the middle isle, to expanding into manufacturing and shipping, Lidl, part of the Schwarz Group, has evolved hugely from its early days of obsessive penny-pinching efficiency and prices written in pencil.

In part two of this week’s Inside Business, Irish Times Berlin Correspondent Derek Scally joined Cliff on the line to discuss how this evolution and success has been achieved, and the influence of, among other things, Irish consumer habits.

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

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The Economist magazine recently published its annual country rich list. Ireland was nowhere to be found on the list in spite of the fact that we are constantly being told that Ireland is one of the world’s richest countries.

Host Ciarán Hancock is joined in studio by Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times to talk about how rich we all are, or not as the case may be, and the measures that ruled Ireland out of consideration.

Also on Inside Business this week, Conor Pope of The Irish Times discusses the companies that consumers complain about the most to the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission.

Who are they? What are the most common complaints? And how much out of pocket are consumers as a result of their bad experiences?

Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.