Aer Lingus chief executive Lynne Embleton warned Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan about the "lack of understanding" within his department of the crisis faced by airlines last July, reports the Sunday Times.
The newspaper says that documents released under the Freedom of Information Act show Embleton emailed Ryan raising the concerns ahead of a meeting between Aer Lingus executives and Government on July 30th.
Ryan, Minister of State Hildegarde Naughton and Taoiseach Micheál Martin met Embleton and Aer Lingus corporate affairs chief, Donal Moriarty. The carrier had recently announced plans to close its Shannon Airport crew base after reporting losses of €103 million for the first three months of the year.
Embleton told the Ministers that the Government’s stance on support for air travel would slow the rate at which flights would be restored, resulting in more job losses as restructuring would be more severe.
The newspaper notes that Moriarty expressed surprise in an email on July 16th at Ryan’s suggestion that EU state aid rules made helping aviation difficult. The Aer Lingus executive pointed out that other European countries were supporting their airlines, leaving the Irish carrier at a significant disadvantage.
Cost of construction materials to rise
The Sunday Times also reports that Dublin Builders’ Providers has warned customers of more construction materials price hikes in the new year.
The company, which has 10 depots around the Republic, wrote to clients saying its suppliers had told it that they were planning to increase charges.
Dublin Builders’ Providers warned in a letter that it could not “continue to absorb these increases and must pass them on to our customers”. It listed 30 suppliers that were boosting prices, mostly from January 1st, the newspaper says.
Health insurance hike
More than two million people could pay more for health insurance next year following a Government rule change, the Business Post says.
Government has decided to raise the "reasonable profit level" allowed to VHI, Laya and Irish Life Health from 4.4 per cent to 6 per cent.
The Post maintains that this could boost costs for 2.2 million Irish people with health insurance.
“It comes at a time when health insurance experts have already predicted that existing premiums will rise by an average of 5 per cent next year, pushing prices up by between €50 and €150 per adult,” the newspaper adds.
Bitpanda hiring here
Austrian cryptocurrency and stock trading business Bitpanda plans to hire up to 30 people for its Irish unit next year, says the Sunday Independent.
The company has set up a business here to support European operations. Andrew Cochrane, local managing director, told the newspaper that the Republic was "very much part of that roadmap". Bitpanda has already hired 10 people for its Irish operation.
