Barchester Healthcare, the UK care homes backed by Irish billionaires John Magnier, Dermot Desmond and JP McManus, saw its profits rise last year even as rent paid to a company owned by the controlling investors rose more than 4 per cent to £119.9 million (€143 million). Joe Brennan reports.
Joe also reports that DCC, the fuel-to-technology distributor, has agreed to buy Dublin-based medical and surgical devices company Iskus Health in a multimillion-euro deal to beef up the group’s healthcare division, its smallest unit by earnings.
Monzo Bank, one of the highest profile online lenders in the UK, has pumped €4 million into its newly formed Irish subsidiary and appointed a high-powered board of directors, new company documents show. Barry J Whyte reports.
In his column, John McManus looks at the response to the so-called mansion tax introduced with the budget. But, as he points out, the real issue is the Government’s unwillingness to crack down on local property tax.
In Money Matters, Joanne Hunt takes us through the concept of ‘zero budgeting’. How does it work, and how can it help you keep your finances in check?
Planning and regulatory delays can lead to jump in electricity prices and carbon dioxide (CO₂) emissions, according to a new study by the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI). Colin Gleeson reports on the think-tank’s new research bulletin on “the impact of planning and regulatory delays for energy infrastructure”. It analysed how regulatory delays impact electricity prices, system emissions, and costs.
Colin also reports that the legal arm of UK professional services and technology group Davies is to enter the Irish market with the acquisition of Dublin-based law firm O’Brien Lynam Solicitors (OBL). The deal marks the first acquisition by Davies’ legal business – Keoghs – outside of the UK. When the deal is complete, OBL will trade as Keoghs Ireland.
Companies are making it harder for trade unions to organise or represent their workers, a new report suggests, and are using tactics such as refusing officials physical access to workplaces, monitoring employee communications and victimising activists to weaken union activity. Emmet Malone has the story.
The Irish Times returned to profit in 2023 as group revenues climbed 5 per cent to €115 million, exceptional costs shrank and it made gains on its investment portfolio. As Laura Slattery reports, accounts for The Irish Times DAC show that it made a profit before tax of €2.1 million in 2023, which followed a pretax loss of €5 million the year before.
Greencore Group’s shares soared to their highest level since the outbreak of the Covid-19 on Tuesday as the maker of sandwiches and ready meals for stores from Aldi to Marks and Spencer said its 2024 earnings estimates would beat analysts’ expectations for a third time.
In Commercial Property, Fiona Reddan reports on an office building near St Stephen’s Green on the market for €13 million, while an investment property in Cork is seeking €5.4 million.
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