ESB and coal, Brennans buy Kenmare hotel, and Hidden Hearing’s expansion

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

The five-star Park Hotel in Kenmare, is unlikely to reopen before May or June, according to its co-owner John Brennan. He and his brother Francis have bought the nearby Lansdowne Arms Hotel in the popular Kerry town and plan to refurbish the property in time for the summer season.

The ESB has landed itself in hot water for importing coal from a Colombian mine which is at the centre of alleged human rights and environmental violations. Eoin Burke-Kennedy has the details.

The five-star Park Hotel in Kenmare, Co Kerry might not reopen until the beginning of June due to Covid-19 lockdown restrictions, according to John Brennan, who owns the property with his brother Francis. The restrictions haven't stopped the pair buying the nearby Lansdowne Arms hotel, where they are planning a major renovation in advance of the hospitality sector being allowed to reopen. Ciarán Hancock reports.

Hidden Hearing, one the country's main providers of hearing aids and related healthcare services, plans to hire up to 150 new staff over the next five years as part of an expansion that could see it open 20 new standalone clinics, writes Mark Paul.

Ires Reit, the State's largest private residential landlord, is understood to be at an advanced stage of planning to move the asset and property management of its portfolio of almost 3,700 apartments in house to lower running costs, having paid €29 million in fees since 2014 to a Canadian group. Joe Brennan runs through the figures.

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Whether it's due to Brexit or Covid-19, returning Irish emigrants are part of the reason why house prices here are going up, writes Cantillon.

Lifetime loans – a form of equity release – are back, offering older homeowners the opportunity of releasing part of the value of their homes without having to repay the funds until they die or sell the property. Fiona Reddan explains how they work and the potential pitfalls that can arise.

In Q&A, a reader outlines how their father is being chased to pay a ¤5,000 funeral bill following his brother's death, in a case where the executor of his will has disappeared. Dominic Coyle helps to navigate them through this sensitive issue.

RTÉ fell short of audience expectations in seven key areas in 2019, according to its recently-published annual report. Given the volume of streaming services now available here and the other challenges facing the broadcast sector, Laura Slattery says life won't have become any easier for RTÉ in the intervening period.

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Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock is Business Editor of The Irish Times