A recent investigation by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) and Trinity College Dublin has found that customers face difficulties in differentiating authentic environmental assertions in adverts from deceptive “greenwashed” ones that falsely boost the environmental friendliness of a service or product. This was reported by Laura Slattery.
We mourn the death of Joseph Brennan, the patriarch of the Irish family-owned Brennans Bread, who passed away in Dublin at the age of 82. His life as one of Ireland’s foremost bakers is chronicled by Colin Gleeson.
In the Agenda feature, Colm Keena delves into the increasingly tense trade links between China and the western world and the potential implications for Ireland, as it plays host to numerous large Chinese firms who have set up regional bases to distribute their commodities and services.
The new Minister for Enterprise, Peter Burke, has been interviewed by Eoin Burke-Kennedy in our Interview of the Week. The Minister, aware of the impending elections and his limited stint in office, was eager to showcase the range of assistance his department has recently crafted to help Irish SMEs facing the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. He expressed the sentiment that beneficial policies for employees need not be detrimental to employers.
According to AIB, the Irish economy is projected to rebound this year, albeit at a slower rate than previous years, buoyed by a solid domestic economy and employment growth. The report is presented in detail by Ian Curran.
Our columnist, John FitzGerald, asserts that, contrary to popular belief, taxes in Ireland are relatively low.
Cliff Taylor mentions a related issue in his piece, stating that the count of high-income earners in Ireland has doubled since before the pandemic, subsequently becoming a critical contributor to the State’s yearly tax earnings.
Ian Curran reports that VEI Global, an information and computer services firm based in Naas, Co Kildare, is investing €2 million to create 20 new engineering positions over the upcoming 18 months due to “significant customer growth in the US and Europe”.
Increased expenses have significantly affected the profits of EirGrid, the national electricity grid operator, during the 12-month period leading up to September. Detailed figures from the state-owned firm are provided by Barry O’Halloran.
In other news you may have missed, Barry has covered Ryanair’s warning that air fares to Dublin this Christmas may reach €500 due to the passenger limit at Dublin Airport.