The Dublin Airport Authority is doing its bit for The Gathering next year by helping to secure the World Passenger Symposium 2013 for Dublin.

It’s a major event organised by the International Air Transport Association, and will be held at the Convention Centre Dublin next October.

More than 700 senior aviation industry figures are expected to make the trip here after Dublin got the nod over Barcelona for the gig. Abu Dhabi hosted the last bash.

It’s a case of carry on advising for Drury Communications, PR consultant to the Irish Bank Resolution Corporation (IBRC), which comprises the former Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide.

* Drury has just won a tender process that will see it extend its advisory role with IBRC for another two years.

Drury is no stranger to the State-owned institution having held the contract since IBRC came into being and, before that, having been an adviser to Anglo dating back to the 1990s.

* Irish businesses are in no doubt as to who influences Irish taxation policy – and it isn’t Michael Noonan.

Of 500 business leaders polled by accounting firm PwC in the aftermath of the budget, 46 per cent said the EU would have the biggest impact on Ireland’s tax policy over the next three years, while 45 per cent are of the view that it will be the US.

Just 9 per cent said that Ireland’s Minister for Finance will have the biggest impact on Ireland’s tax policy over the period.

Given the significant changes being proposed for how national budgets are formulated within the EU from 2013 onwards, a successful exit from the bailout at the end of next year doesn’t guarantee us full control over our tax affairs.