M&S euro prices lack festive cheer, while earners await post-budget ‘fiscal drag’

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

The higher cost of doing business in Ireland is the reason customers of Marks & Spencer in the Republic will be paying up to 39 per cent more than UK shoppers for their festive food this Christmas, the retailer claims. Fiona Reddan reports.

Superbug killer Kastus won the overall prize at this year's Irish Times Innovation Awards, held in Royal Hospital Kilmainham. Michael McAleer has the details on all the winners at the event.

Our reaction to Budget 2018 continues with an analysis by Economic and Social Research Institute research professor Tim Callan. It highlights the potentially painful impact on workers' incomes of fiscal drag, which the budget did not do enough to avoid.

Hallowed be thy investments: The Church of Ireland has emerged as a shareholder in the holding company behind Nama, Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe has disclosed. Joe Brennan reports.

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Hotelier Noel O'Callaghan - the media-shy uncle of not-so-media-shy Ryanair chief executive Michael O'Leary - has sold a 75-bedroom hotel in Annapolis, Maryland, his only one in the US. Mark Paul reports.

Real steps are finally being taken to change shameful data retention legislation to something more balanced and proportionate, Karlin Lillington writes in her Net Results column.

Finally, our Thursday technology coverage includes an interview with Voxpro's Linda Green-Kiely, who explains why the time was right to sell the company.

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Laura Slattery

Laura Slattery

Laura Slattery is an Irish Times journalist writing about media, advertising and other business topics