Inside Business with Ciaran Hancock

Episoder

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  From kitchen counter to supermarket shelves, the rise of Ballymaloe Foods 09.09.2026 38min

  First up on this episode of Inside Business, a family firm that has become one of Ireland’s best-known food brands.Maxine Hyde’s grandmother - Ballymaloe founder Myrtle Allen - began making relish in the kitchen of their family run hotel. Today, Ballymaloe Foods has a range of products sold in supermarkets nationally, and a turnover of €15m.Host Ciaran Hancock gives their signature relish a taste, and asks what it takes to grow a food business in a market dominated by multinational brands. How have changing consumer tastes shaped the company’s strategy? And can a premium Irish food producer continue to thrive as households keep a close eye on spending?Also in this episode, we put one of the most talked-about gadgets of the year under the microscope. Dyson’s latest electric toothbrush comes with a price tag of €479, making it one of the most expensive brushes on the market. But does it actually deliver a better clean? Who is it designed for? And can any toothbrush really justify costing more than some smartphones?Irish Times business and technology reporter Ciara O’Brien has been putting the device to the test.Brought to you in association with EY.Produced by John Casey, JJ Vernon and Andrew McNair. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Has the Government’s strategy to keep fuel costs down proved to be ‘knee-jerk’ and difficult to reverse? 02.09.2026 34min

  First up on this episode of Inside Business, the issue of fuel costs after the Dáil voted to postpone the restoration of fuel excise duty last Friday.Did they wilt in the face of more potential protests?What is the cumulative impact of taxes, levies, regulations and other fuel-related charges on the cost of transport and home-heating fuels?And with the budget around the corner, should any changes to carbon tax consider both fuel affordability and the climate programmes funded by it?For more on this, host Cliff Taylor was joined in studio by Kevin McPartlan, CEO of Fuels for Ireland.Also in this episode, we look at the spread of digital tipping terminals that prompt customers to leave gratuities for basic counter service.Should you tip on a coffee-and-pastry purchase? What about a takeaway?And is tipping becoming expected rather than voluntary?Irish Times Consumer Correspondent Conor Pope has been writing about this, and he joined Cliff to give his thoughts.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Will the upcoming budget drive inflation and increase costs for Irish households? 26.08.2026 29min

  The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council have made their pre-budget submission. They feel the Government’s proposed budgetary package will drive inflation and increase costs for households and firms.The council also warned that current plans would increase reliance on corporation tax receipts, which it considers risky. It also feels more of the corporation tax windfall should be put into the State’s rainy-day funds.For more on this, host Cliff Taylor is joined in studio by Niall Conroy, Ifac’s acting chief economist.Plus, Irish Times Economics Correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy on the key takeaways from the latest Daft.ie report which shows Dublin rental availability falling by 18% year-on-year to fewer than 1,150 homes. But the spike in market rents in the first quarter of this year after the introduction of new rental rules seems to have eased considerably. The report shows what rent inflation like outside Dublin, and how finding accommodation is becoming extremely difficult for third level students.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  How many new homes does Ireland really need? 19.08.2026 42min

  The Government has introduced 46 tax measures since 2013 to stimulate house building here. Have they worked and do they represent good value for money for taxpayers? To help answer that question Ciaran Hancock is joined by Marian Finnegan, chief executive of Sherry Fitzgerald, Ireland's largest estate agent, and John McCartney, a property economics lecturer in TU Dublin, who spent 20 years working in the commercial property sector.Together they debate a range of questions that are key to Ireland’s housing and property sector:How many new homes do we need per year to serve the needs of a growing population?Are schemes like Help to Buy or First Home good value for money - or do they only serve to drive prices ever higher? Is it possible to design new schemes to bolster homebuilding in areas outside Dublin, where needs remain unmet?What is the true level of vacancy around the country and what does it tell us about housing need? How healthy is the commercial property sector? Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Should Meta's 'intrusive' smart glasses be banned? 12.08.2026 35min

  It's been a busy week for tech giant Meta. Its new glasses have sparked controversy over privacy concerns, while founder Mark Zuckerberg published his AI manifesto, and the company indicated that it might be willing to pay local communities to host data centres in their areas. Irish Times tech expert Ciara O'Brien explains why the glasses have caused such a stir and how Zuckerberg's approach to AI differs.In part two: Ireland's corporation tax receipts are bulging, helped by the increase in the rate of tax paid by large companies as a result of recent changes agreed under the auspices of the OECD. The government recently published exchequer returns for the first seven months of the year, giving an insight into the extra corporation tax that is likely to flow our way. It's a helpful backdrop for the government in the run-up to October's budget. Eoin Burke-Kennedy looks at the numbers and what they mean. He also looks at what might happen to Ireland's public finances if an Apple, Microsoft, or Eli Lilly were to pull out.Brought to you in association with EY. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Are middle earners getting gouged by the tax system here? 05.08.2026 29min

  In a column last week, Cliff Taylor posed the question as to whether middle earners are being ripped off by the Irish income tax system. And with no income tax package introduced in 2026, that meant the real tax burden has increased this year.Minister for Finance Simon Harris has signalled that tax cuts are coming in the budget targeted at middle income earners, but does that require difficult political trade-offs?Cliff joins host Ciarán Hancock in studio to give his view.Plus, in a hard-hitting column this week, John McManus posed the question as to how Michael Fingleton got away with it for so long.This is in relation to Fingleton’s stewardship of Irish Nationwide over nearly four decades until it collapsed in 2009, being bailed out by Irish taxpayers to the tune of €5.4 billion.Fingleton passed away last Sunday at the age of 88.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  What size does your pension actually need to be for a comfortable retirement? 29.07.2026 31min

  First up this week’s episode of Inside Business, we are looking at pensions and what constitutes a comfortable retirement here.A recent survey from Royal London Ireland suggested Irish workers believe they will need almost €41,000 per year to achieve that.So, when should you start contributing into a pension and what age should you ramp up those contributions? And why is home ownership so important when it comes to our financial life cycle?To discuss this host Cliff Taylor is joined in studio by partner at PwC Ireland Munro O’Dwyer.Plus, Permanent TSB shareholders are to vote Thursday July 30th on Austrian bank Bawag’s planned €1.62bn takeover.This suggests a finish line is in sight after the bank was put up for sale last October.But what will the takeover potentially mean for branch closures and staff cuts?Irish Times Markets Correspondent Joe Brennan has been writing about this, and he joined Cliff on the line.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Aer Lingus job cuts and Ryanair’s profits plunge - what is happening in the Irish aviation sector? 22.07.2026 41min

  First up on Inside Business this week, we look at the woes impacting the Irish aviation sector.Aer Lingus last week announced plans to cut up to 500 jobs at the airline, the equivalent of 8 per cent of its workforce.And Ryanair announced on Monday that its profits had dropped in the first half of the year due to higher fuel costs and a reduction in air fares as people hedge their travel plans amid the current increases in the cost of living.To discuss these issues, host Ciarán Hancock was joined in studio by Davy stockbrokers aviation analyst Stephen Furlong and on the line by Eoghan Corry, a veteran aviation journalist.Plus, Ciara O’Brien of The Irish Times on the Government’s plans to introduce a digital wallet, that in time could hold your passport and driving licence.How will it work and why is it being brought in now?Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Will the State’s plan for the Carlton Cinema site revitalise O’Connell Street? 15.07.2026 25min

  First up on this week’s episode of Inside Business, host Ciarán Hancock speaks to Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times about the State’s purchase of the a 5-acre site on O’Connell Street in Dublin that used to house the Carlton cinema. Officially, it has been purchased for the Metrolink underground rail link to Dublin airport. But is this part of a wider plan by the Government to take charge of regeneration in this key urban quarter of the capital?Why did Transport Infrastructure Ireland pay €80 million to purchase the site from UK developer Hammerson? And did it really need to buy the site to deliver a Metrolink stop on O’Connell Street?Plus, fighting has once again broken out in the Middle East as the fragile ceasefire between the US an Iran has impacted on shipping going through the Strait of Hormuz. Denis Staunton has covered the story for The Irish Times, and he sums up the events of this week and where peace talks might go from here.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  How can tech offer solutions for obesity and weight management? 09.07.2026 35min

  On this special episode of Inside Business recorded at EY’s head office, host Ciarán Hancock is joined by Dr Harriet Treacy, founder and CEO of BeyondBMI, Ireland’s first online medically led weight management and obesity clinic.She explains how frustration at the inefficiencies of healthcare systems was the catalyst in her decision to pivot from a medical doctor to an entrepreneur.Harriet is a finalist in the Emerging category for the 2026 EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards.Also on this episode, is Tommy Kearns, CEO and co-founder of customer engagement platform Xtremepush. The company helps legacy media transition to digital, and new companies that have emerged over the last decade or so. Tommy also outlines the pivotal role AI is playing in the company’s present and future.Tommy is a finalist in the Established category for the 2026 EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards.Plus, we also hear from Roger Wallace, Head of Assurance & EY Entrepreneur of the Year Partner Lead at EY Ireland, on how AI is being implemented in the company’s business – the level of investment needed and the impact on employee roles. Roger also highlights the value of our indigenous entrepreneurs against the backdrop of our economy being driven by overseas investment.Produced by John Casey. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  The 9 per cent VAT rate has been welcomed by restaurants but does the hospitality sector actually need it? 01.07.2026 39min

  In the first half of this week’s Inside Business, we debate the merits or otherwise of the now permanent 9 per cent VAT rate for the hospitality sector which kicked in on Wednesday.This followed a pledge in last year’s budget to cut the rate, and a long lobbying campaign by many in the industry. But at a cost of €681 million in a full year, is it a good way to spend taxpayer’s money? And should the Government have looked at other ways to support the sector rather than this tax break?Adrian Cummins, CEO of the Restaurant Association of Ireland will argue the case for, while Barra Roantree, assistant professor of economics at Trinity College, will explain why he believes this is a bad policy by Government.In the second half of this episode, John McCartney, a lecturer in property economics at TU Dublin, will explain why he thinks the downturn in the Dublin office market is a permanent one, and not just cyclical as some in the industry would argue. Has the market peaked? And will vacancy rates continually increase?Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Has the Irish building sector got themselves hooked on Government subsidies? 24.06.2026 39min

  On this week’s episode of Inside Business host Ciarán Hancock has Irish Times new recruit Killian Woods in studio to discuss a Government scheme to support the building of apartments in our cities, which looks set to miss a key target.Croi Conaithe cities is a Government support scheme to help plug the affordability gap to support apartment building, which is a key plank in the State’s plan to solve the housing crisis.Earlier this week, Killian wrote a story in The Irish Times stating that the scheme was in danger of missing its key target of building 5,000 new apartments over the lifetime of the scheme.What will happen when the scheme’s €450 million budget is spent? And has the building sector here come to rely too much on State subsidies?In the second half of the programme, Eoghan O’Mara Walsh, the CEO of the Irish Tourism Industry Confederation explains why the country is in danger of not having enough bedrooms to accommodate tourists. This is despite the Government’s aim to increase Ireland’s tourism revenue by 50% by 2031. Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Will a Middle East peace deal make any difference to inflation? 17.06.2026 32min

  The announcement of a 60 day ceasefire in the Middle East to allow detailed negotiations on what we understand could be a deal to end the conflict, has given the financial markets breathing space.First up on this week’s podcast is the potential impact on energy prices through the opening of the Strait of Hormuz, a key shipping route for oil, liquified natural gas and fertiliser.The Irish Times’s Cliff Taylor assesses what we can expect from energy prices and how it could impact interest rates, a review of which is due from the European Central Bank in July.Ciaran also speaks to the manager of Toners Pub in Dublin, Luke Stedmon, about the boost in trade he’s seen as a result of the FIFA World Cup.And while he’s in the studio, how much is he charging for a pint, and how much has it climbed in his eight years working in the pub trade.Presented by Ciaran Hancock. Produced by JJ Vernon, John Casey and Andrew McNair.   Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  ‘No profit and crap governance’ – is Elon Musk’s SpaceX actually worth $1.75 trillion? 10.06.2026 41min

  First up on this week’s episode of Inside Business is Elon Musk's company SpaceX and its plan to raise $75 billion through what will likely be the biggest initial public offering (IPO) in history this Friday.The company values itself at $1.75tn, but some analysts feel it is worth far less.Could it prove to be a risky bet for the retail investor given SpaceX's lack of profit? And there are question marks over governance given Musk's almost untouchable status within the company.To get some insight on all this, host Cliff Taylor was joined in studio by Aidan Donnelly, head of Global Equities at Davy.Plus, European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is expected to announce a 0.25% rise in the ECB's interest rate, this will bring it up to 2.25%.It will be the first interest rate hike since 2023, following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the impact that had on energy prices.So, what does this week’s increase mean for Irish mortgage holders and those looking to buy?And is this the beginning of a cycle of increases designed to control rising inflation?Cliff was joined in studio by Senior Mortgage Advisor at Irish Mortgage Brokers, Michael Dowling.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  David McRedmond: ‘O’Connell Street needs high density housing’ 03.06.2026 50min

  This week, Inside Business host Ciarán Hancock is joined in studio by An Post chief executive David McRedmond, who is about to step down after 10 years in charge of the State-owned company.He recently wrote an article for The Irish Times about the explosion in online shopping in this country and how it would impact on bricks and mortar retailers.Last year An Post delivered 75 million parcels to Irish homes.This year he expects that figure to be well north of 100 million parcels. All this in a country of just two million homes.In this episode, you’ll hear David outline how he believes we need to reimagine the streetscape in our towns and cities to reflect this shift.And he gives ideas on what to do with the historic GPO in Dublin, which An Post largely vacated some time back for new offices in the docks.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Will new pay transparency rules close the gender pay gap for good? 27.05.2026 28min

  This week Inside Business looks at pay transparency. A new EU directive requiring employers to disclose salary ranges in the workplace and toughen rules enforcing gender pay equality comes into effect on June 7th.However, Ireland is set to miss that deadline, with no draft legislation in place. Nichola Harkin is head of employment law services at employers’ group Ibec and joins host Ciaran Hancock in studio to explain the key elements of the new EU pay legislation and what it will mean for employers and their staff.How is it being received by companies here? And will it close the gender pay gap?In the second half of this episode, Ciarán speaks to Irish Times Washington Correspondent Keith Duggan about the new governor of the Federal Reserve, Kevin Warsh. He has been described by New York Times columnist Paul Krugman as Donald Trump’s sock puppet.So, the question is, will he be his own man or a Trump patsy?Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Rents and evictions soar as house price inflation slows 20.05.2026 39min

  House price growth hit 6.5 per cent in March, the slowest rate in two years, offering some chink of light to those hoping to buy. For tenants however, the news is grim, with rents rising by 4.4 per cent in Q.1, the highest quarterly increase since 2022. While the number of eviction notices issued by landlords rose by 50 per cent in the same period. All that against the backdrop of new government rules around renting.To make some sense of these data points, Inside Business host Ciarán Hancock is joined in studio by Marian Finnegan, CEO of Sherry Fitzgerald, the country’s largest estate agent, and on the line by Irish Times Economics Correspondent Eoin Burke-Kennedy.In the second part of this episode, Ciarán is joined by Irish Times business reporter Ian Curran who was in Toronto last week as part of the EY Entrepreneur of the Year awards programme. Ian highlights some of the business leaders who impressed, their sales pitch, and reaction to Canadian prime minister Mark Carney’s group address as he seeks to wean Canada off its reliance on the US.Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Could we be heading toward a world recession if Trump can’t broker a deal with Iran? 13.05.2026 34min

  How high could oil prices go?It has shot up since the United States and Israel’s war with Iran began a couple of months ago. But not by as much as might have been expected. Talks on a deal are taking place but in the absence of a deal there is concern that a prolonged conflict could lead to a global recession. Economist John FitzGerald and Cliff Taylor of the Irish Times join host Ciarán Hancock in studio to discuss the implications for Irish householders and businesses. In the second half of this week’s Inside Business, we hear about how plans for a €250 million winter sports arena in Cherrywood, south Dublin are progressing. This  week we learned that several US and Canadian ice hockey stars, including former Stanley Cup winners, have signed on as investors in the proposed ice hockey arena.Eoin Burke-Kennedy of The Irish Times has been covering the story, and he joined Ciarán to outline who these investors are and what their involvement means for the project. Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  PrepayPower are hiking their prices - will other energy suppliers soon follow suit? 06.05.2026 26min

  First up on this episode of Inside Business, the rising cost of living. Prepay Power last week became the first Irish energy supplier to announce an increase in its prices since the Middle East conflict began.Daragh Cassidy is Head of Communications at consumer advice website bonkers.ie, and he joins host Ciarán Hancock to discuss the outlook for a range of consumer prices, and whether other energy suppliers would follow Prepay Power’s lead and increase their prices.In the second half of this episode, Professor at the School of Computer Science & IT at UCC, Barry O’Sullivan, joins Ciarán to get under the skin of artificial intelligence and its poor image. Some say it will cure cancer and solve climate change; while others view it as a threat to humanity and something that will take away all our jobs. Produced by John Casey with JJ Vernon on sound. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
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  Inflation remains steady; and Conor Pope’s energy saving tips 29.04.2026 31min

  On today’s Inside Business podcast Cliff Taylor from The Irish Times discusses the latest inflation figures, and our Current Affairs Correspondent Conor Pope offers tips on cutting your energy bills.Headline inflation in the Irish economy remained steady at 3.6% in April, figures published today show.“It’s hard to know how things will go but it looks like we could have a turbulent three to six months where energy is concerned” Cliff Taylor said.For consumers that could mean the need to take a look at the small changes that could, by the year’s end, tally up to substantial savings.The time you spend in the shower, the amount of water you put in the kettle, and how often you put the immersion heater on are all behaviours worth looking at, explains Conor Pope.  Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.