PwC warning, Nordic prices without the salaries and needs must in the job market

Company insolvencies could rise dramatically in the coming months amid the withdrawal of pandemic supports and the surge in inflation and energy costs, a report by consultancy firm PwC has warned, writes Eoin Burke-Kennedy.

The Beacon Hospital has acquired two sites adjacent to its current campus in Sandyford, Co Dublin, for an undisclosed sum. It plans to use the sites on 56 and 57 Blackthorn Road, comprising 2.7 acres, to expand the hospital’s clinical facilities; create a new medical research hub; and house part of its existing UCD Beacon Academy. Eoin Burke-Kennedy reports.

As chronic staff shortages shut down swimming pools and restaurants, and leave crops to rot in fields, some researchers say there is rising interest in people with a criminal past, writes Pilita Clark

Department of Public Expenditure officials raised concerns that builders may “walk away” from State construction projects and that Government payments to help cover contractors’ inflation-related costs may not prevent insolvencies in the sector. Jack Power has the details.

Survey after survey put us at the top of the price charts. Accusations of price gouging abound. What is it that makes Ireland such an expensive country? Eoin Burke-Kennedy tries to make sense of it all.

The beef herd should bear the brunt of the adjustment to a more climate-friendly agriculture and dairying should continue to expand modestly but in a more environmentally compatible manner by focusing more on increasing efficiency with stable or smaller herds, argues economist Brendan Kearney in our weekly opinion slot.

Will Revenue chase me over bank draft my solicitor never sent them? Dominic Coyle answers your personal finance questions.

Irish toy company HoloToyz has raised €1 million in funding as it plans to hire new staff to support its expansion in the global market. Ciara O’Brien reports.

Two housing reports delivered two different takes on the Irish property market in the past week. MyHome.ie, which is owned by The Irish Times, suggests that house price growth is slowing in the face of cost-of-living concerns and rising interest rates. However Daft.ie says they’re accelerating, fast approaching the Celtic Tiger peak, amid chronically low levels of supply. So, what’s really going on?

In the latest episode of the Inside Business podcast, Irish Times Economics Correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy sheds some light on the differences in the two reports, while Marian Finnegan of Sherry FitzGerald has the estate agents view. Plus: the European Central Bank is expecting to hike its interest rates from next month, with further increases anticipated as the year rolls on. Cliff Taylor explains what effect those hikes might have on house buying over the next 12 months.

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