Building boom, Barretstown boon and Buffet’s bet

Business Today: the best news, analysis and comment from The Irish Times business desk

Beware of the telephone scammer.

The Irish construction sector is now under "Celtic Tiger levels of pressure" and at risk of overheating as a result of a significant acceleration in wages and prices, a new report has warned. Eoin Burke Kennedy reports.

Vertex, the US pharmaceutical company whose Orkambi has been a breakthrough drug for Irish cystic fibrosis patients, is donating €250,000 to Barretstown. Dominic Coyle has the details.

Coinbase, a digital currency exchange whose backers include Spanish bank BBVA and the New York Stock Exchange, is establishing a second Irish entity targeting institutions across Europe, writes Charlie Taylor.

US hiring software company Greenhouse is to open a base in Dublin as it seeks to drive expansion in the Europe, Middle East and Africa region. Ciara O'Brien reports.

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Resident sage Cantillon feels sorry for first-time buyers, marvels at David Duffy's good fortune and is rueful about Warren Buffet's bad bet.

Ciara O'Brien gives us tips on how to beat the scammers, she also reviews the Fairphone 3 – a smart phone you can repair yourself and finds out how an Irish-based company is giving digital marketers an edge.

Neil Briscoe looks at the would-be disrupters of the car world.

John Holden says that the pros of GDPR far outweigh the cons. But the cons are still worth considering.

Fiona Alson meets a start-up that sees green shoots in crop irrigation technology and Olive Keogh talks to a a former banker who aims to take the pain out of regulatory compliance.

In our Inside Business podcast Laura Slattery is joined by Irish Times columnist Chris Johns, who has taken a detailed look through the manifestos of Fine Gael & Fianna Fáil. What are the parties promising in terms of public finances and how will it be implemented? Also, with Brexit set for Friday evening and the value of Sterling falling, Irish Times journalist Mark Paul discusses the likely impact it will have on Irish tourism.

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Conn Ó Midheach

Conn Ó Midheach

Conn O Midheach is Assistant Business Editor - Digital of The Irish Times