Inside Business with Ciaran Hancock

Amid the ongoing conflict in the Middle East, fuel prices at the pump continue to rise and Energia last week became the latest domestic player to increase its electricity and gas prices.A winter of discontent potentially lies ahead with the Government scrambling to put together support packages for the budget on October 6th.Muireann Lynch is senior research officer at the ESRI, and an energy expert and she joined host Ciarán Hancock in studio to give her view on the outlook for energy prices over the short to long term and how this will feed in to costs for Irish households and businesses.Also on this episode of Inside Business, we look at how the British and Irish Lions 2025 tour was hugely successful both on and off the pitch.On the pitch, the team won its test series in Australia 2-1. Off the pitch it made a record profit of £13m on revenue of £50m. Ben Calveley is the chief executive of the company behind the British and Irish Lions and joined Ciarán via video link to discuss the financial success of the Lions and potential avenues of growth for the business of both the men’s and the women’s tours.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

First up on this episode of Inside Business, a family firm that has become one of Ireland’s best-known food brands.Maxine Hyde’s grandmother - Ballymaloe founder Myrtle Allen - began making relish in the kitchen of their family run hotel. Today, Ballymaloe Foods has a range of products sold in supermarkets nationally, and a turnover of €15m.Host Ciaran Hancock gives their signature relish a taste, and asks what it takes to grow a food business in a market dominated by multinational brands. How have changing consumer tastes shaped the company’s strategy? And can a premium Irish food producer continue to thrive as households keep a close eye on spending?Also in this episode, we put one of the most talked-about gadgets of the year under the microscope. Dyson’s latest electric toothbrush comes with a price tag of €479, making it one of the most expensive brushes on the market. But does it actually deliver a better clean? Who is it designed for? And can any toothbrush really justify costing more than some smartphones?Irish Times business and technology reporter Ciara O’Brien has been putting the device to the test.Brought to you in association with EY.Produced by John Casey, JJ Vernon and Andrew McNair.

First up on this episode of Inside Business, the issue of fuel costs after the Dáil voted to postpone the restoration of fuel excise duty last Friday.Did they wilt in the face of more potential protests?What is the cumulative impact of taxes, levies, regulations and other fuel-related charges on the cost of transport and home-heating fuels?And with the budget around the corner, should any changes to carbon tax consider both fuel affordability and the climate programmes funded by it?For more on this, host Cliff Taylor was joined in studio by Kevin McPartlan, CEO of Fuels for Ireland.Also in this episode, we look at the spread of digital tipping terminals that prompt customers to leave gratuities for basic counter service.Should you tip on a coffee-and-pastry purchase? What about a takeaway?And is tipping becoming expected rather than voluntary?Irish Times Consumer Correspondent Conor Pope has been writing about this, and he joined Cliff to give his thoughts.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council have made their pre-budget submission. They feel the Government’s proposed budgetary package will drive inflation and increase costs for households and firms.The council also warned that current plans would increase reliance on corporation tax receipts, which it considers risky. It also feels more of the corporation tax windfall should be put into the State’s rainy-day funds.For more on this, host Cliff Taylor is joined in studio by Niall Conroy, Ifac’s acting chief economist.Plus, Irish Times Economics Correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy on the key takeaways from the latest Daft.ie report which shows Dublin rental availability falling by 18% year-on-year to fewer than 1,150 homes. But the spike in market rents in the first quarter of this year after the introduction of new rental rules seems to have eased considerably. The report shows what rent inflation like outside Dublin, and how finding accommodation is becoming extremely difficult for third level students.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

The Government has introduced 46 tax measures since 2013 to stimulate house building here. Have they worked and do they represent good value for money for taxpayers? To help answer that question Ciaran Hancock is joined by Marian Finnegan, chief executive of Sherry Fitzgerald, Ireland's largest estate agent, and John McCartney, a property economics lecturer in TU Dublin, who spent 20 years working in the commercial property sector.Together they debate a range of questions that are key to Ireland’s housing and property sector:How many new homes do we need per year to serve the needs of a growing population?Are schemes like Help to Buy or First Home good value for money - or do they only serve to drive prices ever higher? Is it possible to design new schemes to bolster homebuilding in areas outside Dublin, where needs remain unmet?What is the true level of vacancy around the country and what does it tell us about housing need? How healthy is the commercial property sector?

It's been a busy week for tech giant Meta. Its new glasses have sparked controversy over privacy concerns, while founder Mark Zuckerberg published his AI manifesto, and the company indicated that it might be willing to pay local communities to host data centres in their areas. Irish Times tech expert Ciara O'Brien explains why the glasses have caused such a stir and how Zuckerberg's approach to AI differs.In part two: Ireland's corporation tax receipts are bulging, helped by the increase in the rate of tax paid by large companies as a result of recent changes agreed under the auspices of the OECD. The government recently published exchequer returns for the first seven months of the year, giving an insight into the extra corporation tax that is likely to flow our way. It's a helpful backdrop for the government in the run-up to October's budget. Eoin Burke-Kennedy looks at the numbers and what they mean. He also looks at what might happen to Ireland's public finances if an Apple, Microsoft, or Eli Lilly were to pull out.Brought to you in association with EY.

In a column last week, Cliff Taylor posed the question as to whether middle earners are being ripped off by the Irish income tax system. And with no income tax package introduced in 2026, that meant the real tax burden has increased this year.Minister for Finance Simon Harris has signalled that tax cuts are coming in the budget targeted at middle income earners, but does that require difficult political trade-offs?Cliff joins host Ciarán Hancock in studio to give his view.Plus, in a hard-hitting column this week, John McManus posed the question as to how Michael Fingleton got away with it for so long.This is in relation to Fingleton’s stewardship of Irish Nationwide over nearly four decades until it collapsed in 2009, being bailed out by Irish taxpayers to the tune of €5.4 billion.Fingleton passed away last Sunday at the age of 88.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

First up this week’s episode of Inside Business, we are looking at pensions and what constitutes a comfortable retirement here.A recent survey from Royal London Ireland suggested Irish workers believe they will need almost €41,000 per year to achieve that.So, when should you start contributing into a pension and what age should you ramp up those contributions? And why is home ownership so important when it comes to our financial life cycle?To discuss this host Cliff Taylor is joined in studio by partner at PwC Ireland Munro O’Dwyer.Plus, Permanent TSB shareholders are to vote Thursday July 30th on Austrian bank Bawag’s planned €1.62bn takeover.This suggests a finish line is in sight after the bank was put up for sale last October.But what will the takeover potentially mean for branch closures and staff cuts?Irish Times Markets Correspondent Joe Brennan has been writing about this, and he joined Cliff on the line.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

First up on Inside Business this week, we look at the woes impacting the Irish aviation sector.Aer Lingus last week announced plans to cut up to 500 jobs at the airline, the equivalent of 8 per cent of its workforce.And Ryanair announced on Monday that its profits had dropped in the first half of the year due to higher fuel costs and a reduction in air fares as people hedge their travel plans amid the current increases in the cost of living.To discuss these issues, host Ciarán Hancock was joined in studio by Davy stockbrokers aviation analyst Stephen Furlong and on the line by Eoghan Corry, a veteran aviation journalist.Plus, Ciara O’Brien of The Irish Times on the Government’s plans to introduce a digital wallet, that in time could hold your passport and driving licence.How will it work and why is it being brought in now?Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.