Seen & Heard: Larry Goodman poised to increase Blackrock Clinic stake

SUNDAY BUSINESS POST

Surgeon Jimmy Sheehan is set to sell his stake in the Blackrock Clinic in Dublin to beef baron Larry Goodman for €16 million, the Sunday Business Post reports.

While the report doesn’t give Mr Sheehan’s stake, he was known to have an almost 14 per cent holding after UK health insurer Bupa sold its controlling stake in Blackrock Clinic in 2006.

Mr Goodman, who bought a 28 per cent holding in the company in 2005, also agreed to buy out Mr Sheehan’s holding in the Galway Clinic last month for €31 million, which would increase his stake to 75 per cent, according to the report.

SUNDAY TIMES

Former Fianna Fail TD and senator Donie Cassidy is selling three Georgian buildings in Dublin's city centre to Dalata, the country's biggest hotel group, according to the Sunday Times.

Dalata, headed by chief executive Pat McCann, plans to expand its existing Maldron hotel on Parnell Square into the adjoining three buildings at Granby Row, which Mr Cassidy owns with his wife, Anne. They are currently arranged in apartments.

The Sunday Times also reports that Green Reit has cut €1.5 million off its annual interest costs by negotiating a 2 per cent interest rate on a €150 million loan from Bank of Ireland.

Green Reit had previously paid an annual 3 per cent rate on the facility, which the group arranged this year to have extended to last until June 2021 from May 2018, according to the property company’s annual report.

SUNDAY INDEPENDENT

Intel, the US computer chipmaking giant, has highlighted the dearth of affordable housing in Ireland at Government level, according to the Sunday Independent.

The company, which cut hundreds of jobs in Ireland in recent months as part of a global drive to cut 12,000 positions, touched on the issue when Intel Ireland general manager Eamonn Sinnott met Derek Moran, secretary general of the Department of Finance, in May, the newspaper said. Brexit and tax were also discussed at the meeting, it said.

The Sunday Independent also reports that RTÉ estimates that as many as 500 homes could be developed on its Donnybrook site in Dublin 4.

The scope of the potential seen by RTÉ was contained in a masterplan submitted to Dublin City Council for the 10-acre site on part of the Donnybrook campus, which has been earmarked for development by the broadcaster.

The site could achieve €50 million for RTÉ if sold, the newspaper said.