CIÉ’s pensions warning, Iput’s ‘greening’ and the rising cost of building

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The Pensions Authority has warned it could wind up the current pension scheme for managers and other grades in the CIÉ group of transport companies a deficit of about €550 million is not addressed. Photograph: Alan Betson

The Pensions Authority has warned it could wind up the current pension scheme for managers and other grades in the CIÉ group of transport companies if a deficit of about €550 million is not addressed. Martin Wall has the story, which stems from a confidential letter written by the Authority this week.

Property developer and investor Iput is planning to spend €500 million "greening" its portfolio, writes Ciarán Hancock. The move was revealed to shareholders on Thursday and comes as the group secures a €200 million green finance facility.

As the economy looks to a tentative reopening, aviation could suffer another lost summer, DAA chief executive Dalton Philips has warned. Mr Philips was speaking to Barry O'Halloran after the airport operator reported a €284 million loss for last year.

Separately, in our Work section, Olive Keogh considers the future of business travel, which some believe could be facing into a lasting decline of up to 25 per cent.

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Barry also reports on news from Flutter Entertainment that horseracing fans bet ¤275 million with its Paddy Power brand during last month's Cheltenham festival. Revenues at the gambling giant rose by 32 per cent to £1.485 million sterling (€1.7 billion) in the first three months of the year.

Charlie Taylor has details of good news for Irish entrepreneur Sharon Keegan, who has secured £100,000 (€115,137) in investment for her business after appearing on the Dragons' Den television programme in Britain. Ms Keegan is the founder of athleisure wear brand Peachylean.

With construction set for a phased reopening, rises in the cost of building materials could put the sector on the back foot, writes Barry O'Halloran in our in-depth Agenda feature. He explains what's behind the price rises and speaks to industry figures about their potential impact.

In his Caveat column, Mark Paul reflects on this week's repayment by Currys PC World of Covid wage subsidies it had received from the Government, highlighting the role of PR in the move. As Covid restrictions ease, such repayments (or non-repayments) will attract more scrutiny, he suggests.

John FitzGerald is looking back to find clues about the future in his weekly column, wondering what consumer behaviour in the period after the second World War might tell us about the post-pandemic economy. He notes in particular the cash that flooded the housing market in the late 1940s.

This week's Wild Goose is Tipperary native Dr Nora Nugent, a consultant plastic surgeon with the NHS in Britain. Dr Nugent, who also practises privately, tells Joanne Hunt that her field is sometimes misunderstood by those not involved in it.

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Úna McCaffrey

Úna McCaffrey

Úna McCaffrey is an Assistant Business Editor at The Irish Times