Inside Business with Ciaran Hancock

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.

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.

This week Inside Business is looking at tourism. Data from the Central Statistics Office earlier this year suggested that the number of visitors to the country had fallen off a cliff. Not so said the industry, while acknowledging that the market was a bit soft compared with the past two years of trading.Joining host Ciarán Hancock in studio to discuss this is Paul Gallagher, chief executive of the Irish Hotels Federation and Sean O’Driscoll, chief executive of iNua hotels, one of the biggest hospitality groups in the country.They tease out the issue of the 9% Vat rate, with some strong criticisms of the Department of Finance from Sean. They also talk about the slow death of food and beverage in the country, the Dublin airport passenger cap, AI’s increasing use in the business and hotel prices around the Oasis concerts. Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

We start this week’s episode of Inside Business with a look at how influencers have been reminded recently by Revenue of their obligations to pay tax on their earnings. Siobhan Maguire is a contributor to The Irish Times and wrote an excellent piece this week on this hot topic. She joins host Ciarán Hancock on the line to go through the many ways influencers expose themselves to tax liability as outlined in a new guide issued by Revenue. Is there such thing as a free dinner for influencers and what part does non-monetary compensation play?Also on this episode, Ciarán speaks to young Dublin entrepreneur Luke Joyce about setting up Ireland’s first online subscription window cleaning service. Luke grew up on a farm in Saggart, Co Dublin, did entrepreneurship at Maynooth University and then set up Thecleaningcompany.ie. The company has gone from strength to strength since it was established in 2019 with projected turnover of €2.5m for this year.His success cleaning windows recently spurred him into launching new businesses painting houses and doing general maintenance work.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.  

This week host Ciarán Hancock is joined in studio by economist and Irish Times contributor John FitzGerald. He gives his reaction to the EU-US trade deal that will see a 15% tariff rate on European imports going into the US, a deal that he feels the EU had agreed to with ‘two hands tied behind its back’ on account of its continued reliance on the US when it comes to the war in Ukraine.Also, ahead of Budget 2026 John outlines the need for the Government to stop pumping money into a booming economy and focus on making space for much-needed infrastructure. He feels we are inflating the economy when we should be cutting expenditure or raising taxes, neither of which would be politically popular.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. 

This week the Government outlined spending of €200 billion on a National Development Plan stretching over the next decade. In parallel it also set out its stall for this year’s budget, signalling a spending and tax package of €9.5 billion. Joining host Ciarán Hancock in studio to dissect these spending plans and tax cuts against a backdrop of a potential trade war between the US and the EU were Ellen Coyne, political correspondent of The Irish Times, Ferga Kane, EY Ireland’s strategy and transactions team lead, and Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times. They tease out the headline numbers in the National Development Plan, the areas being targeted over the next five years, and the likely impact on future foreign investment.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

Economist and writer David McWilliams was scathing about the level of dereliction in Dublin city in a recent article in the Irish Times. He suggested tax breaks and other measures to breathe new life back into the capital and to get more people living in the city centre. He joined host Ciarán Hancock to discuss his ideas and how we can learn from the mistakes of the not-too-distant past.Plus, it’s been another busy week on the tariff front with US President Donald Trump sending a letter to the EU threatening higher taxes on European imports into America. Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times has been covering this story and he joined Ciarán to talk through the contents of the letter, potential consequences for Ireland and whether this is yet another ploy by Donald Trump in this drawn-out negotiation with the EU.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

 This week we’re looking at the Juggle that women with young children have to make in Ireland to find a work-life balance.It’s an age-old problem in Ireland with no solution yet in sight. Margaret Ward writes about Work issues each week for the Irish Times as well as running her own consultancy business Clear Eye and she’s written a series of articles on the Juggle in recent weeks.Aideen Finnegan is an audio producer with The Irish Times and the host of the Better with Money podcast. She has two young children, and you’ll hear her tell host Ciarán Hancock about the daily grind she and her husband face to get their kids to creche and school while also commuting to work to earn a living.Both of them offer their clear views on what Government and employers need to do to help young mothers balance their responsibilities at home and in the workplace.Also in this episode of Inside Business, Donald Trump recently got his Big Beautiful Act through Congress, which allows for major cuts in taxation while boosting spending in key areas to support his policies. It will also involve cuts in Medicaid and other assistance offered to the most vulnerable in the US.Keith Duggan joins host Ciarán Hancock on the line from Washington to discuss this and the latest developments in Trump’s tariff threats.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.

This week we are looking at the phenomenon of the D4 farmer. Not some wealthy entrepreneur herding cattle in Ballsbridge but wealthy individuals buying up farmland around the country as a wheeze to reduce the inheritance tax bills for their children.How does the tax break work? What impact will it have on land prices? And is anything being done to change it?Fiona Reddan of the Irish Times wrote a brilliant article on this last week and she joins host Ciarán Hancock in studio, along with Marty Murphy, who is head of tax at IFAC Ireland, one of the country’s biggest accounting firms with a large number of farmers on its books.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.