Companies supported by Enterprise Ireland had a challenging year with a net gain of just jobs despite creating new positions across the State. But, writes Ciara O’Brien, that was enough to make it a record-breaking year for the agency.
In the housing market, the focus continues to be on first-time buyers and data from the Government First Home scheme that supports aspiring homeowners by taking a stake in their homes to help the bridge the gap between their mortgage and the property price shows demand is growing strongly. Eoin Burke-Kennedy has the details.
Elsewhere in the market, estate agent Lisney says delays in the Probate Office are holding up sales of second-hand homes. Ian Curran reports.
Bad Sisters has clearly been good business for writer and actor Sharon Horgan, whose London-based Merman Television group has recorded profits of €1.78 million over 2021 and 2022, according to accounts filed recently, writes Gordon Deegan.
Deirdre McQuillan has details of the opening in Dublin later this month of the first store by Chinese fashion chain Icicle, which specialises in sustainable and ethical fashion.
As regulators consider whether to widen their investigation into Boeing beyond its 737 Max 9 aircraft, Peggy Hollinger argues in her column that Alaska Airline’s mid-flight drama is a severe blow to the troubled aerospace company.
The US state department expects to close a long-flagged deal to purchase the 4.2-acre Jurys Hotel site in Ballsbridge as the location for a new embassy. Ellen O’Regan writes that the United States’ delegation to Ireland has long outgrown its existing base close by on Elgin Road.
And as people look to make the most of their money this year Brianna Parkins talks to four personal finance experts about habits they should be adopting, or breaking.
Speaking of which, Conor Pope reports on move by the CSO to run its household budget survey on a rolling basis throughout the year rather than taking a moment in time snapshot. The agency argues it will better inform policy and says the 6,000 households chosen at random to take part can use it as an educational household budgeting tool.
Finally, the Sam Altman drama at Open AI has had some unwelcome consequences as the European Union’s competition regulator decides to look more closely at Microsoft’s multibillion-dollar investment in the company to see whether it violates the bloc’s merger rules.
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