Microsoft’s plan to add 550 new roles at its Irish operation

The best news, analysis and comment from The Irish Times business desk

Microsoft's head office in Ireland, at Leopardstown in south Dublin. The tech giant is planning to add 550 staff to its Irish operation over the next four years. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times
Microsoft's head office in Ireland, at Leopardstown in south Dublin. The tech giant is planning to add 550 staff to its Irish operation over the next four years. Photograph: Alan Betson / The Irish Times

Business Today

Business Today

Get the latest business news and commentary from our expert business team in your inbox every weekday morning

Microsoft has announced plans to add 550 jobs to its Irish operations, focusing on AI and cybersecurity. Ciara O’Brien has the details.

Village Vets, which is majority owned by a London private equity firm, is planning to open six new clinics here, including two in north Dublin by the end of this year. Ian Curran spoke to its chief executive Charles Cosgrave about the company’s expansion plan.

In his latest piece on Derek Quinlan’s UK bankruptcy, Mark Paul details the large sums used to fund the financier’s lifestyle since the 2008 property crash left him with huge debts, and the many health issues noted by the Irish financier during his personal insolvency process.

With an election imminent, it is important party policies and manifestos are objectively costed and tested, writes John FitzGerald in his weekly column.

READ MORE

Bank of Ireland’s UK car finance arm, Northridge Finance, has temporarily put the brakes on offering new loans, as the industry reels from a landmark court ruling last week. Joe Brennan reports.

Former Munster and Irish rugby star Simon Zebo has backed a new Irish whiskey, called Black Emerald. Barry O’Halloran spoke to Zebo about its genesis and the company’s plan to raise new finance.

Interpath Advisory Ireland, a corporate restructuring and advisory firm, is on track to report about €13 million of revenues for its first full year in business after being set up by a number of former partners of KPMG and Deloitte in Dublin, according to its managing directors. Joe Brennan spoke to Kieran Wallace and Ken Fennell about their growth plans and hitting profitability.

In Smart Money, Cliff Taylor examines the possibility of an SSIA-style savings scheme being put forward by political parties to help win votes in the general election, especially as the country is awash with cash.

In our Work feature, the FT’s Emma Jacobs wonders if it pays to be a company lifer.

There has been a sharp drop in productivity across Irish SMEs in areas such as construction and accommodation, a new report from the Banking & Payments Federation Ireland has shown. Fiona Keeley reports.

Stay up to date with all our business news: sign up to our Business Today daily email news digest. If you’d like to read more about the issues that affect your finances try signing up to On the Money, the weekly newsletter from our personal finance team, which will be issued every Friday to Irish Times subscribers.

News Digests

News Digests

Stay on top of the latest news with our daily newsletters each morning, lunchtime and evening