Politics Mark Redmond: Varadkar never failed to show up when it came to winning investment for IrelandLeo Varadkar’s tenure as taoiseach coincided with remarkable levels of foreign investment even in the face of a series of daunting challenges
Infrastructure Water concerns make it ‘much more difficult’ to win overseas investment – former IDA headMartin Shanahan says Dublin is Ireland’s ‘only city of international scale’ and argues contentious Shannon pipeline is ‘imperative’
Infrastructure Fury as thousands of businesses face major spikes in water billsThe utilities regulator has been criticised for a plan to abolish caps on companies’ bills within three years
Infrastructure Shannon water pipeline delays a ‘threat’ to foreign investmentThe state’s water utility has warned ‘difficult decisions’ lie ahead unless €1.6bn project is delivered
From the Editor This week: Water now a threat to FDI; government’s referendum ‘nightmare’We have everything you need to know about business and politics in today’s edition
Jobs Germany’s largest semiconductor maker Infineon announces 100 jobsThe new hires will bring the manufacturer’s head count in Ireland to 300
Employment Government client companies employ record number as sales riseThe employment survey covers jobs from companies of Enterprise Ireland, the IDA and Údarás na Gaeltachta
IDA ‘I’ve moved on’: New IDA chair questioned over previous role as head of PwC IrelandFeargal O’Rourke was asked if he has created ‘separation’ with PwC in new IDA role ‘to protect yourself and everyone else’
Housing Ireland needs 50,000 homes in 2025 to stay attractive, IDA chair saysFeargal O’Rourke says Ireland’s housing targets were not high enough amid fears over impact of accommodation crisis on foreign direct investment
Economy IDA Ireland is ‘like Man City’ but can’t live off past glories - new chairman Feargal O’RourkeFormer PwC executive was appointed as chair of inward investment body in January
Energy Power Down: State cap on data centres puts billions of euro at riskForeign investors warn that Ireland has been dumped on a red list and investment will cease unless the current moratorium is lifted by government
Comment Analysis: As Leo courts AI at Davos, UK Post Office fiasco shows we must not put blind faith in techOpenAI’s Sam Altman expressed his ‘nervousness’ over the technology as he took pride of place beside the Taoiseach at an IDA dinner in Switzerland
The Last Post IDA chair Feargal O’Rourke: ‘People don’t believe me but tax is not the main reason firms come here’ The former managing partner at PWC on why he never followed his mother, Mary, into national politics
From the Editor This week: IDA boss on Sinn Féin’s plan to woo big business; shareholder row escalates at Ires ReitThis week’s paper also includes a big read on Bauer’s Cash Machine – and who the spin doctors behind Ireland’s parties are
Politics IDA boss reveals Sinn Féin plans to woo US firms on corporate taxMary Lou McDonald and Pearse Doherty on ‘outreach programme’ to reassure big business, but executives fear wealth tax
Trade Michael McGrath to meet with Apple, Pfizer, and Google on trip to CaliforniaMinister for finance said Irish companies are ‘significant investors’ in the US and that he hoped to strengthen the ‘two-way relationship’
Companies IDA appoints former PwC boss Feargal O’Rourke as chair O’Rourke - who served 37 years with PwC - was appointed to the position on December 31, according to the state board’s website
Politics Coveney: ‘No pushback’ from multinationals against Irish stance on IsraelEnterprise minister says Irish position – widely viewed as more sympathetic to Palestine than other EU countries – is ‘respected internationally, and understood’
Employment Tech struggles wipe out 14 years of unbroken multinational jobs growth – IDANew figures show net loss of 1,000 jobs in multinational sector in 2023 – first time since 2009 that the figure has been in the red
Companies Overseas investment up 2.5% as IDA issues new warning over Irish infrastructureIDA Ireland hails ‘strong annual results’ despite domestic and global challenges