The two-tier system of ‘dry’ and ‘wet’ pubs does not seem fair from an economic standpoint and we don’t have the evidence to confirm it will work as anticipated in protecting public health
The Minister for Finance smartly remedied a gap in the revamped employee wage subsidy scheme which would have left out the self-employed
There are times in politics when a partial investment is just not going to cut it, and when the bigger bet actually has the better chance of paying off
The July stimulus plan will be announced on Tuesday. Access to cash is vital for families and businesses, so the government should not be afraid to borrow cheap money and put it to work
The banks claim they have to add interest to mortgage deferrals. Bringing them to heel may not be a great long-term plan for their viability
The national broadcaster is looking for €120 million from the exchequer to help it with its financial troubles, but there are no digouts for other media outlets filling a similar role
The last Fine Gael and Labour government looked backwards to restore and recreate, but this government must look forwards to a future that brings genuine change
The bookmaking industry depends largely on professional and amateur sport for its existence. It’s time it paid its dues
If the state does not help small businesses recover from Covid, it will spend similar money on unemployment benefits – with worse outcomes in terms of human cost
The faster easing of Covid-19 restrictions represents a conservative compromise that will please many and disappoint others
Government action, though taken in our best interest, has imperilled the very existence of many businesses. As it is, so many have been damaged they may no longer be viable. Some risks have to be taken, and it‘s time for government to re-evaluate its ultra-cautious reopening strategy
It’s time to speed up the reopening of the country, and put the same emphasis on our economic recovery as on public health
The online retail giant is problematic in many ways – from treatment of workers, to data use, to its effect on local businesses – and if Europe won‘t act, consumers should
Remember Brexit? It hasn‘t gone away, and the third round of negotiations between Britain and the EU begins next week
While the Ryanair boss may have cut his base pay to €500,000 the real value of his current contract lies in scenarios relating to share options that could make him many millions. The pandemic, however, could interfere with that
The Ryanair boss anticipates a rapid recovery for the airline if restrictions are eased in July, yet – typically – expects customers to bear the initial cost of cancelled flights
Pressure on TDs to share the financial pain could eventually result in all public sector workers taking a pay cut
The reality is that the election was fought - and the voters made choices - when facing a very different situation to the one that has developed
It would be reassuring to know the government was taking advice from trustworthy and transparent economic sources
The government has moved swiftly with moves to counter the threat to life from Covid-19, but there are questions over the adequacy of the measures taken to address the economic perils of the crisis