Ryanair lobbies on tax, Tyrone firm urges staff to get Irish passports and what next for the NBP?

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

Ryanair is lobbying for a change in Irish tax laws to help it in tackling its industrial relations woes, reports Barry O'Halloran this morning. The shift the airline is seeking would allow it to address a flash point around using Irish contracts to employ pilots and cabin crew in other European countries.

Barry also takes a look back at the airline's agm on Thursday, which threw up issues around its long-term leadership plans.

With agreement on Brexit seeming no closer after this week's Salzburg summit, one company in the North is seeking to proof itself against the UK's departure by asking staff to apply for Irish passports. Francess McDonnell has the story.

Still on Brexit, a day after the Tánaiste Simon Coveney described the move as a "lose, lose, lose" scenario at a PwC/Irish Times event, a fresh pre-budget submission is calling for the Government to use Budget 2019 to "Brexit-proof" the economy. Charlie Taylor reports on the advice from accountancy firm, Deloitte.

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Dr Elaine Laing of Trinity College Dublin meanwhile offers some guidance for businesses or others that are wondering how to manage their currency risk amid Brexit uncertainty.

A "pay-as-you-go" insurer has started to operate in the Irish market, targeting self-employed workers such as Deliveroo drivers for its commercial insurance, writes Peter Hamilton. The insurance would start and stop according to when a worker is working.

Peter also reports on Mylan's plans to launch a generic drug in the Republic that would be 30 per cent cheaper than an existing medicine that is widely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis.

Ciara O'Brien spent time with both Apple's new iPhone and new Watch on Thursday, providing first-impression reviews of both. She says you'll like the phone if you're a fan of bling.

Irish fintech company Fenergo is planning to take on an extra 300 people before the end of next March,reports Charlie Taylor. The move comes as the firm invests €30 million back into the business.

With debate on a United Ireland rumbling away, John FitzGerald looks at the reunification of Germany and explains how the economics of it worked to delay the arrival of our own Celtic Tiger.

Our Business Interview this week is Gas Networks Ireland managing director Denis O'Sullivan, who talks to Barry O'Halloran about cows, slurry, renewable energy and how to reduce the carbon concentration of our gas supply.

In this week's long-read Agenda, Eoin Burke-Kennedy takes the temperature of the National Broadband Plan in the wake of Denis O'Brien's entry into the process.

In our Work section, Olive Keogh considers how organisations should encourage their leaders to view employees, with some now suggesting that mindsets can be more important than skills in the modern workplace.

In his Caveat column, Mark Paul examines plans to redesign the Dublin Bus network, an issue that he suggests could engender as much consumer discontent as water charges.

Our Wild Goose this week is Fergus Murphy, who works in the arts in Denmark, and states plainly that he definitely won't be coming back to Dublin because he and his partner could never be able to have to life there that they have in Copenhagen with four children.

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Úna McCaffrey

Úna McCaffrey

Úna McCaffrey is an Assistant Business Editor at The Irish Times