Last lap for NTMA job, a rival for Revolut and broadband woes

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Why is our broadband plan costing so much?

The National Treasury Management Agency's (NTMA) director of funding and debt management, Frank O'Connor, and the Department of Finance's banking head, Des Carville, are in the final running for the position of chief executive of the organisation responsible for managing key State assets and liabilities.

It is understood that a third candidate has also been in the mix in recent weeks as the board of the NTMA, led by chairperson Maeve Carton, comes close to making a decision, expected imminently. Joe Brennan has the details.

Revolut-rival Monese has made its first acquisition, snapping up Irish fintech Trezeo in a move that will see it double down on the Republic as a key market.

The deal will also allow the pan-European mobile money account provider to expand its product offering by providing more credit and lending services to so-called “gig workers” and other self-employed people. Charlie Taylor reports.

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Credit union lobby groups have sought a relaxation of laws to allow them to co-lend on projects and channel deposits into the State savings programme as the Government considers the policy framework for a sector dogged for years by excess customer cash and limited loan demand, writes Joe Brennan.

Belfast has been named among the UK's fastest growing tech cities according to a new report for the UK's Digital Economy Council. The city was ranked 10th in the levelling up tech power league, behind cities including Cardiff, Birmingham and Newcastle. Cambridge topped the league, followed by Manchester and Oxford, writes Ciara O'Brien.

In our opinion slot Brian Hayes, chief executive of Banking and Payments Federation Ireland, argues hat it is vital that the fundamentals of the business of banking receive a fair hearing and are subject to an honest debate by all who will participate in the review of the banking sector in ireland.

In his weekly column Eoin Burke-Kennedy wonders how come the national broadband plan is costing os much.

A draft of Dublin City Council's new development plan includes a proposal to limit the number of rental units in any new apartment schemes to 40%. Director of property developer Twinlite, Rick Larkin, says the impact of this will freeze future apartment developments in Dublin and mean renters and first time buyers will have fewer options and higher costs. Dublin City Councillor Dermot Lacey has rejected this notion. In this episode of the Inside Business podcast Ciarán Hancock hears them both out.Stay up to date with all our business news: sign up to our business news alerts and our Business Today daily email news digest.

Conn Ó Midheach

Conn Ó Midheach

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