Builders warn of skills shortage, Government’s climate credentials and Cairn sells €25m in new houses

Builders are warning of a looming skills shortage as new figures show their industry continues to expand on the back of the Republic's housing squeeze, reports Barry O'Halloran.

The Government's climate credentials have again been called into question by new figures showing that as recently as 2016 it was still providing millions of euros in subsidies for fossil fuels, including the industrial extraction of peat for electricity generation. Eoin Burke Kennedy has the details.

Builder Cairn Homes sold48 houses for more than € 25 million on the first day it opened a new development to prospective buyers. Dublin- and London-listed Cairn opened a newly-built estate at Glenheron, Greystones, Co Wicklow on Saturday, writes Barry O'Halloran

Barry also tells us that Punchestown Racecourse has invested €4 million in a new stand that it plans to open on the first day of its annual festival next week.

Punchestown to unveil €4m Hunt Stand on first day of annual festival

---

Pharmacy chain Sam McAuley goes on the acquisitions trail

---

Berlin’s airport travails hurt German engineering pride

---

Dublin bemused as UK Brexit point man drops clangers

---

The Kildare Hunt-owned racecourse is working on a €6 million plan to upgrade facilities for its customers. According to its marketing director, Shona Dreaper, a €4 million investment in the new Hunt Stand was the central element of its redevelopment.

Smurfit Kappa is likely to ultimately bow to pressure from shareholders and engage with its unwanted suitor, International Paper. This could lead to a successful takeover bid, after two previous rebuffed proposals, Goodbody Stockbrokers' equities sales team is pitching to clients. Joe Brennan reports.

Northern Ireland firms enjoyed a major jump in new export orders last month driven mainly by business with the Republic, according to latest research. Francess McDonnell reports.

Dublin drug development company Inflection Bioscienceshas signed a research deal with Trinity College, writes Dominic Coyle. The start-up is working on a new approach to blocking the spread of cancer cells in patients with aggressive treatment-resistant breast cancer.

Pitching the pension message to workers will be key to the success of Government plans to introduce auto-enrolment in 2022, says State Street's Nigel Aston in an interview with Dominic Coyle.

The Brexit transition deal may have rocked the boat for the UK Government with its DUP partners but fishing quotas are not the only catch when it comes to Brexit and what the future might hold for some fishing communities in the North, a UK House of Commons inquiry will hear later this week. Francess McDonnell sets the scene.

Plita Clark wonders why is it that so often in business, the deputy never gets a shot at the top job while Chris Johns is not that exercised by intellectual property theft as it has been going on for years.

Stay up to date: sign up to our business news alerts here and our Business Today daily email news digest here.