Breakfast Business with Joe Lynam

He is the most famous tailor in Ireland and has dressed the stars - including Ronald Reagan, Bono and Tom Hardy.  The group now has 6 shops nationwide. But how does the famous Louis Copeland ‘cope’ when it’s up against fast fashion and cheap clothes from South Asia? Speaking to Joe to discuss was Louis Copeland from the eponymous fashion retailer. 

We had our budget a month ago and the government cut taxes and boosted spending.  There are little chances of that for the UK today when the Chancellor John Healy announces his budget later today.  Britain’s public finances aren't in great shape, and the cost of borrowing exacerbates the problem.  Joe looks ahead to the UK budget with Chris Beauchamp the Chief Market Analyst with IG. 

Joe Lynam takes a look at this morning's business headlines.

A ‘nomad capitalist’ is usually not attached to any large company but operates around the world in a jurisdiction which suits for tax or cost purposes.  These are often consultants who can be based anywhere and are usually armed with little more than a laptop and a mobile. 

Joining Joe this morning was Teodor Nenkov who has compiled the index for the consultants Nomad Capitalist.

Joe Lynam brings us Tuesday business headlines.

One insurance company in Ireland is owned by a charity and hands over any profits to beneficial causes.  It’s called Ecclesiastical Insurance and last week its donations to non profit organisations reached €250m in Britain and Ireland. To chat further about the business was David Lane the Managing Director of Ecclesiastical insurance Ireland.  

Patrick Twomey is the 4th generation of his family to run Twomey Bakers in West Limerick. The have now they have signed a new deal to supply Aldi with thousands of loaves a week.  But what's it like baking in an age of high wages and even higher energy costs to keep the ovens hot? 

Amundi is biggest fund manager in Europe and their study found that Irish savers have a greater fear of losing money than their European peers.  It comes as households prepare for the launch of the new tax efficient personal investment accounts next year.

Joe discusses this and more with Graham Fox the Head of Distribution with Amundi.  

Friday's business headlines with Joe Lynam and Aidan Donnelly from Davys.

The Kilkenny Design group now has 20 outlets nationwide, selling high end Irish fashion and assorted products since 1963. Now its latest numbers say that turnover was up 13% to €36m last year. It has benefited enormously from the rise in tourists - especially from the US. Speaking to Joe all about the business was Evelyn Moynihan the Chief Executive of Kilkenny Design. 

Thursday's business headlines with Joe Lynam.

A few years ago the giant French insurer AXA bought Laya health insurance.  Now AXA is behind life insurance products from Laya.  Cover online is capped at €750,000 but AXA life is entering a market dominated by Irish Life and New Ireland Assurance  Joining Joe this morning was Eoin Lynam the Chief Executive of AXA life Europe. 

The most important room in most houses is the kitchen. Evoke Kitchens have been designing and installing kitchens in Waterford. To chat all about the business was Teresanne O’Reilly from Evoke Kitchens.

Paul F Walsh has been campaigning for years about online safety, espionage and AI overreach.  Now he’s also concerned that platforms such as TikTok and Meta are openly siding with right wing parties. Paul joined Joe this morning to discuss further. You can find Paul at  paulFWalsh.substack.com. 

Wednesday's business headlines with Joe Lynam.

Nearly half of Irish people say they can’t function without their morning coffee, with some admitting they’re best avoided before their first cup. Joe Lynam spoke to Nessa O’Sullivan, Country Manager of L’OR Coffee, about Ireland’s growing love affair with coffee and how our habits have changed from a nation of tea drinkers.

The Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland (SBCI) is increasing its State-backed Growth and Sustainability Loan Scheme by a further €500 million, aiming to help more SMEs access finance. But how easy will it be for businesses to secure this new funding? We speak to Colin Moran, CEO of the SBCI, to find out.

Tuesday business news headlines with Joe Lynam.

Monday business news headlines with Joe Lynam and Leonie MacCann from Irish Life Investment Managers.

Green IT is opening a giant facility in Naas designed to refurbish old laptops, screens and computers which might otherwise have been dumped in landfill.  Green IT has been around for 13 years and has already rejuvenated around half a million ICT devices a number that is set to soar. 

Joining Joe this morning was Martin Reddy the Chief Executive of Green IT. 

Last year the value of goods and services traded between companies on both sides of the Irish border stood at €17 billion. The vast majority of that are goods and most of those flow from north to south. Martin Robinson is Director of Strategy with InterTrade Ireland hopes to level that up by encouraging cross-border economic activity.

This has been a big week for the digital economy. The Irish Recorded Music Association which ensures that record labels get paid for their clients’ creativity, hosted a conference on “Copyright & Human Creativity in the Age of AI”. It is striving to ensure that human creativity remains valued and protected amid rapid technological change. A lot to discuss with David Kitching, Head of Public Affairs with IRMA.

ArmadilloPay works with large, usually-American corporations to send small amounts but in large batches of payments to individuals in one go. Using card services companies such as MasterCard or Visa. 

Joining Joe in studio was Liam Sheehan the co-founder of ArmadilloPay. 

A run through Friday business headlines and markets with Joe Lynam and Austin Hughes. 

Two clubs in the FAI National League, Newbridge Town and CK United, have partnered with Future Ticketing. This platform that helps clubs move from cash and paper payments to online purchasing. 

Speaking to Emmet was Liam Holton, Future Ticketing CEO. 

Thursday's business headlines along with Emmet Oliver.

Private investment of more than €1 billion could be required over the next five years to help Ireland close the gap between its healthcare capacity and OECD average levels. Emmet discusses this further with Stephen Beale, an Associate Director at Cardinal Capital Group. 

This week the leaders of Germany, Italy and Belgium called for a way to be created for national governments to pull a brake if proposed EU legislation would make competitiveness weaker in Europe. So should governments have a veto? To discuss with Joe was Lucinda Creighton is a former government Europe Minister who now runs Vulcan Advisory in Brussels. 

Public Affairs executives or lobbyists are supposed to register every meeting they hold with civil servants or State bodies. The agency that monitors that registry is called the Standards in Public Office registry. To explain its workings was Aoife Drudy, from SIPO Commission.

Wednesday's business headlines along with Joe Lynam.

Amarach have conducted a new customer experience survey.   Overall Ireland’s CXi rating internationally rose this year with supermarkets and banks doing much better than in previous years.  To find out more details on the survey findings was Gerard O’Neill Chair of Amarach who carried out this survey. 

This time 2 years ago asking prices for property were rising nationally almost in double digits.  This is according to MyHome.ie, the biggest jumps in asking prices were outside the capital where they rose by 4.8%.  Are we looking at a more sustainable market or perhaps even a correction in prices?    

Joe asked Conall Mac Coille the Chief Economist with Bank of Ireland and Editor of the MyHome.ie reports. 

Tuesday's business headlines with Joe Lynam.

The hyperscalers are set to spend ¾ of a trillion dollars this year building infrastructure to meet the demand for AI services.  The Government’s AI summit starts in two days and the ‘West by West’ festival in three days in Castlebar.  So where are Irish companies when it comes to preparedness for technology which will doubtless transform our working lives?  

Joe discusses this further with Sean Blanchfield the CEO of Jentic.

Monday's business headlines along with Joe Lynam and Russ Mould from AJ Bell. 

 Rossa White played a major role in resuscitating Ireland’s public finances and returning billions to the State from the now defunct ‘bad bank’ NAMA. 

Now he’s joined EY and his first act will have been to assess last week’s budget. Rossa White, Chief Economist with EY  spoke to Joe about his new role.

Friday's business headlines review with Joe Lynam and Aidan Donnelly from Davys.

Startups and scale-ups got a shout out in the budget this week.  The capital gains tax was cut to 31% and a brand new €1bn scale up fund was announced.  Music no doubt to the ears of my next guest who runs the Guinness Enterprise Centre. It is marking its 25th year in existence with more than 160 companies currently under its roof in Dublin 8.  David Varian is the Chair of the Guinness Enterprise Centre explained all about the centre to Joe.

While governments and investors rave about the potential of AI, many workers are anxious about whether their jobs will be lost or at least become unrecognisable in future.  So ahead of the official AI summit in this country next week, the trade unions are organising an AI ‘Counter summit’ tomorrow.   Speaking to Joe was Ian McArdle is the Deputy General Secretary with the Communications Workers Union.  

Ripple‘s bathrooms install almost 20 bathrooms every week in homes up and down the country. But he is certainly noticing how difficult it is to hire and retain Staff and tradesmen and women.  

A lot to discuss with Joe Flynn the owner of Ripples bathrooms.