With more than 300,000 public sector workers participating in a one-day work stoppage today, John McManus wonders why all the theatrics? Everybody knows that the Government will eventually agree to a pay increase in line with inflation and get some concessions to offset the bill. However, both sides have their reasons, he writes.
Meanwhile, some positive news for the around 65 per cent of Irish adults who say they have at least one piece of Ikea furniture in their home. The Swedish furniture giant is unveiling a new second-hand marketplace that will allow customers to sell and buy preloved Ikea items locally. Joanne Hunt answers the key questions – how will it work, can you make money off of it, and is it actually good for the environment?
A slowdown in the rate of Irish house price inflation is being linked to a shrinkage in real wages as the cost of living and interest rates continue to rise. Eoin Burke-Kennedy reports on the latest official figures from the Central Statistics Office, which reveal a marked slowdown in the rate of annual house price growth in August.
The Irish Times media group saw its revenues decline by 2.5 per cent last year and recorded a loss of €800,000, accounts filed on Tuesday showed. The Irish Times DAC – which includes the Cork-based Irish Examiner, a number of regional titles, and digital assets MyHome.ie and RIP.ie – posted revenue of €112.7 million, down from €115.6 million a year earlier.
Fiachra Gallagher writes that the Supreme Court will hear an appeal by the Data Protection Commission (DPC) relating to certain preliminary matters arising in LinkedIn’s challenge to the imposition of a €310 million fine. The regulator handed out the fine to the Microsoft-owned company in 2024 for breaches of European data protection laws.
Budget 2027: Does this giveaway budget have potential banana skins that might lie ahead for the Government?
Speaking of Big Tech, Ciara O’Brien reports that Google’s philanthropic arm will spend up to €4.46 million on high-tech weather forecasting and climate research in Ireland, including €2.5 million in funding for UCD’s Aimsir Centre and the Climate + Co-Centre.
On a less encouraging note on the tech front, Anthropic has warned that rogue “AI worms” will soon be able to hijack smart home devices, such as ovens and TVs, creating a new cybersecurity threat that will be difficult to contain. The developer of Claude said in a blog post that AI agents may be months away from “self-replicating” across everyday household devices.
The company behind Irish fashion and homeware retailer Kilkenny Design reported an almost 17 per cent jump in pretax profits to €1.5 million in 2025, despite rising labour costs and the negative impact of “global uncertainty” on consumer confidence. Stephen Conneely has the story.
Stephen also reports that McDonald’s has launched a four-month-long “operational pilot” for hand-breaded chicken products in Ireland. It comes amid the recent arrival of a slew of US quick-chicken brands has Ireland – including such as Popeyes, Wingstop, Dave’s Hot Chicken and Chick-fil-A.
Greencore, the biggest producer of pre-packed sandwiches in the UK, is now forecasting annual profit ahead of market expectations after reporting faster-than-expected fourth-quarter volume growth in a trading update on Tuesday. Eoin Burke-Kennedy reports.
Gordon Deegan reports on the latest accounts for Godolphin’s Irish thoroughbred stud operation, which reveal a 42 per cent surge in revenues to €44.29 million last year on the back of a sharp rise in nomination fee income.
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