KBC urges ECB to cut banks some slack, enterprise centre wins award and is our planning system up to it?

Business Today: the best news, analysis and comment from ‘The Irish Times’ business desk

KBC Bank Ireland's chief executive has said the country's banks, currently selling billions of euros of soured debt to meet European Central Bank (ECB) demands, should be cut some slack by regulators, as much of the loans classified as non-performing are generating cash after years of restructuring. Joe Brennan reports.

The Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC), a not-for-profit co-working space located in the Liberties area of Dublin, has won out over 1,300 similar ventures to be named as the world's top business incubator. Charlie Taylor has the details.

The Department of Finance has not considered a "sunset clause" that would put a time limit on companies using €218 billion in historical losses from the economic crash to avoid paying taxes on future profits, reports Simon Carswell.

Expedia, one of the world's largest online travel agents, has hit back at Ryanair in a US legal dispute over the reselling of flights, writes Mark Paul

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In his weekly column John FitzGerald takes the National Development Plan with a grain of salt and wonders if there’s evidence to back up some of the big-ticked proposals such as the Cork/Limerick motorway.

Peter Hamilton meets David Browne, president of the Royal Institute of the Architects in Ireland, and discusses the old Central Bank building and the current housing crisis.

Are Strategic Development Zones and fast-track planning easing the administrative bottlenecks which delay house building? Barry O'Halloran and Peter Hamilton report.

This week Caveat wonders why would an argument in favour of equality for women in business undermine itself by using unsubstantiated or debunked factoids. This is for subscribers only and another good reason for taking out a subscription with us.

Olive Keogh tells us why picking up the phone is way better than tapping the keyboard.

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Conn Ó Midheach

Conn Ó Midheach

Conn O Midheach is Assistant Business Editor - Digital of The Irish Times