Out of Office: Ryanair’s housing splurge and new rugby sponsors

Welcome to the Business Post’s Out of Office, your round-up of the day’s business, tech, markets, legal and politics news.

Everyone agrees that we need to build lots more houses to solve the crisis, but the precise number required regularly changes.

The government seems to have accepted of late that upwards of 50,000 per year are needed, and Darragh O’Brien will now ask local authorities to “open up” recently-completed development plans in order to zone more land so this target can be achieved.

Killian Woods also reported that Ryanair paid more than €12 million to bulk buy 25 new-build homes in a north Dublin housing estate in January. He also broke the original story at the start of the year.

Our most read story of the week so far was the confirmation that the long-promised permanent Liffey Cycle Route had been cancelled by Dublin City Council. Liam Coates today examined what this means for cyclists on Dublin’s bustling quays.

In sport, Bank of Ireland renewed its sponsorship of the Munster, Leinster, Ulster and Connaught rugby teams for the next five years, along with the Munster and Ulster women’s teams.

And in aviation, Aer Lingus doubled down on warnings to withhold delivery of a plane and cast doubt over future new aircraft deliveries amid an ongoing pay dispute with the largest pilots’ union.

In the world of finance, Dominic McGinn reported on the mixed opinions in the City of London about when the Bank of England will move to cut interest rates. He also followed up UK reports that BT plans to sell its Irish arm, with the telecoms giant saying "no decisions" have been taken.

Meanwhile, the debt warehousing deadline is fast approaching, but what does this mean for Irish businesses? Kathleen Gallagher breaks it down here.

And finally, Eoin O’Hare and Catherine Sanz profiled Ms Justice Úna Ní Raifeartaigh ahead of her appointment to the European Court of Human Rights in July.

Thanks for reading.

News in brief

* ICG investors advised to vote against pay report due to transparency concerns

* Completion of senior barrister’s probe into An Bord Pleanála delayed for a fourth time

* EU should consider stripping national tax vetoes if single market under threat - report

* New Boeing exec ‘committed’ to speeding up aircraft deliveries, says Michael O’Leary

* Lakeland Dairies reports sharp fall in profits for 2023 after dairy commodity prices plunged

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