Inside Business podcast: HRI and council row over Leopardstown land

Also this week, Davy’s upbeat economic forecasts

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) owns the affected land around Leopardstown Racecourse and says it has plans to develop it. Photograph: Inpho
Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) owns the affected land around Leopardstown Racecourse and says it has plans to develop it. Photograph: Inpho

A row has erupted over a controversial decision by Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council to place land around Leopardstown Racecourse on its Vacant Sites Register.

Horse Racing Ireland (HRI) owns the land and says it has plans to develop it, but some councillors in the area are looking for part of it to be freed up to build around 1,000 social and affordable housing units.

On this week’s Inside Business podcast, Irish Times Dublin Correspondent Olivia Kelly and Business Reporter Barry O’Halloran discuss how the land came to be on the register, what the implications are, and the likelihood of it being removed from it.

Davy predictions

Also this week, according to upbeat forecasts from Davy stockbrokers, the State’s GDP will grow by 5.7 per cent this year, consumer spending will accelerate, and new mortgage lending will increase sharply.

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Chief economist at Davy Conall Mac Coille joins Cliff Taylor and Ciarán Hancock to discuss the forecasts.

But first, Peter Hamilton has a round up of some of the other stories this week, including the EU’s Multi Annual Financial Framework and mixed news on Ireland’s cost of living.

Inside Business is a regular podcast from The Irish Times. Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, on Android, on Stitcher - or wherever you find podcasts.

Jennifer Ryan

Jennifer Ryan is a former audio producer at The Irish Times