Legal action threats are being posed to the Irish Aviation Authority by airlines after caps were set on passenger numbers for the winter period at the airport, as reported by Barry O’Halloran. Both Ryanair and Aer Lingus disagree with the regulator’s right to decide their passenger number limit from October’s-end to the end of March 2025, based on local authority planning conditions.
In related news, Philip Georgiadis discusses with József Váradi, the owner of Wizz Air, who aggressively sought to challenge Ryanair’s dominance throughout Europe by expanding his airline during the pandemic. However, his plans have been postponed due to a series of challenges emerging just as the industry was recovering.
Martin Wolf’s column raises questions about the scepticism around Joe Biden by many US voters, despite his seemingly impressive economic track record. This scepticism arises at a time when his Republican rival, Donald Trump, plans for what seems like a dictator’s second term.
In other news, Gordon Deegan reports that renewables group Ørsted has encountered unexpected resistance to their plans of constructing an 11-turbine wind farm in east Clare, from a nearby silent Buddhist retreat centre.
Meanwhile, Anne Lucey writes about a forgotten plan of a ready meals tycoon to convert the historic Derreen House and Gardens near Kenmare, Kerry into a short-term tourist rental, by building a new residence elsewhere on the premises. This plan has been hindered by An Bord Pleanála.
Gayle Killilea, former wife of bankrupt developer Sean Dunne, has urged the Irish High Court to throw out a case from 2014 against her. The case was filed by the trustee of Mr Dunne, claiming fraudulent real estate transfers.
Apple has released new iPad models yesterday for the first time in two years; however, the introduction of a new chip to function in some of them seen as a revelation in terms of future AI capabilities, as Ciara O’Brien notes.
Lastly, the first annual report by the Government office established to manage protected disclosures indicated that parts of the private health care sector might not be fully accountable due to a lack of regulation. This lack means that any malpractices highlighted by whistleblowers may not be fully addressed, as reported by Ian Curran.
Ronald Quinlan’s commercial property segment offers an array of reading materials, featuring the recent sale of Beckett House, Meta’s former dockland office in Dublin. The property is listed at around €35 million, a significant dip from the €101 million the Comer siblings garnered for it in 2018. Similarly, the National Museum of Ireland is making use of a large logistics site located in Swords, as a resource centre for collections, currently valued at around €20 million.
Additionally, two Dublin plots – in Sandyford and Tallaght – have been placed on the market, with residential development potential, at asking prices of €2.75 million and €4.75 million, respectively. Other investment opportunities feature a building located on Grafton Street for €3 million, an ex-monastery in Co Galway priced at €3.75 million, and over a thousand acres of forestry dispersed across eight counties. These can be bought in up to 11 separate parcels, roughly totalling €7.5 million.