The beleaguered National Broadband Plan, as well as being left with just one bidder, is now likely to cost more than the ¤1 billion previously signalled, Eoin Burke-Kennedy writes. He has taken an in-depth look at the issues at hand in the troubled process in this week's Business Agenda, noting that thousands of potential broadband customers can now do little except wait and hope for resolution.
John FitzGerald this week considers the general area of public competitions for the purchase of goods and services by the State (including broadband), concluding that if there is no queue of suppliers, there will be no savings for the State.
Peter Hamilton meanwhile speaks to would-be beneficiaries of the National Broadband Plan, one of whom can see Apple's proposed data centre site in Athenry, Co Galway from his doorstep, but is unable to access high-speed broadband.
Apple reported quarterly results on Thursday evening, disappointing the market with figures for iPhone sales over Christmas. Google, another large-scale Irish employer, also posted numbers, its shares initially falling.
Irish ambition
In an ambitious move, Irish food group Total Produce is expected to control all of US-based Dole Food Company within five years after agreeing to buy 45 per cent of it for $300 million. Ciara O'Brien and Ciarán Hancock report.
Ciarán also has details of an outdoor ampitheatre development the at Powerscourt Hotel in Co Wicklow, which could be used as a 240-seater outdoor wedding venue, weather permitting. He speaks in depth to Sarah Slazenger, who represents the third generation of her family to run the Powerscourt Estate since the Slazenger family bought it in 1961.
In his Caveat column this week, Mark Paul explores the idea of theindependent director through the prism of two companies: Independent News & Media and Datalex, which both have Dermot Desmond as a large shareholder.
In our Work section, Olive Keogh looks at the benefits of coachingand finds that companies that "bring people along" are more productive than those that don't. And if you're one of those people who struggles at meetings, read Dr Joanne Murphy of Queen's University, Belfast, on how to manage your internal messages to yourself.
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