Business

Ian Guider: Where is the new chief of the IDA as we enter a challenging period for job creation?

The state’s inward-investment agency is doing its bit this month to fly the flag for Ireland, but is currently doing so without a permanent chief executive

Martin Shanahan, former chief executive of IDA Ireland: what could possibly be taking so long to anoint a full time successor? Picture: Fergal Phillips

The St Patrick’s Day celebrations around this week are more than just a jamboree. We can expect the annual Freedom of Information requests looking for the cost of flights, hotels and first-class airport lounges for ministers and officials, but this misses the real point.

Ireland gets a unique opportunity for publicity and to maximise face time with leaders and policymakers every year. When was the last time you heard of Slovakia or Belgium so prominently ...