Do you have a pension? If you do, well done because you probably signed up to it yourself. Experts agree that pension take up is much higher if workers are signed up to a plan by default, and to that end the Government has pledged to launch its own auto-enrolment system this year. But is it still on track? Well, as Joe Brennan reports, the Department of Social Protection said it expects to publish draft legislation before Easter on its landmark auto-enrolment pension scheme, as it works through a shortlist of parties vying for a €150 million contract to develop and run the system over ten years.
Joe also reports that Energia Group paid out €200 million in dividends in the nine months to the end of last year, as the electricity and gas utility’s majority owner, US private equity firm I Squared Capital, prepared the business for a fresh sale attempt which could net close to €3 billion.
In a closely watched speech in London, Scottish National Party outlined how an independent Scotland could look to Ireland as an example of how to be successful in the EU and outside UK. Mark Paul was in the room.
In her column, Jemima Kelly notes how the recent jump in Bitcoin values to new records has only served to underline the greed at play in the world’s biggest banks.
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The Revenue netted more than €5 million from settlements with 16 tax defaulters over the final three months of 2023, with four of the settlements exceeding €500,000, its latest quarterly tax defaulters’ list shows. Laura Slattery reports.
A huge majority of employees in Ireland have a strong preference for working in a hybrid or remote model, but close to half of companies are urging staff to increase their in-office presence, according to a new report. The findings are contained in the Insights from the Global Workplace Guide, published by global recruitment firm Morgan McKinley. Colin Gleeson reports.
Norman Tanju, who worked as a development chef for PBR Restaurants Ltd, the operator of the Fish Shack chain of restaurants in Dublin, has won his case for constructive dismissal against the firm. Stephen Bourke reports.
A day after the Central Bank said workers were in for a huge rise in real wages, Eoin Burke-Kennedy explains exactly how the regulator has arrived at this conclusion.
The long-awaited opening of Clerys Quarter on Dublin’s O’Connell Street will take place this week. Ronald Quinlan reports that Swedish fashion retailer H &M is in the final stages of fitting out its new 2,787 sq ft (30,000 sq ft) store at the scheme and will begin trading this Friday from the ground and first floors of the scheme following a formal ribbon-cutting ceremony.
In commercial property, Ronald reports on a French investor’s move for Kilkenny Retail Park in a deal worth about €23 million while in Dublin four Georgian houses currently used as offices are going on the market a share under €9 million.
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