Best Inside Business With Ciaran Hancock Podcasts (2025)

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Will the Government’s new plan speed up the delivery of vital infrastructure projects? 38:18

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6d ago38:18

38:18

On this week’s episode of Inside Business, we look at the sluggish delivery of large and necessary infrastructure projects that has been a feature of several successive Governments. A population surge means building more and better infrastructure for transport, water and housing has become increasingly urgent. The Government unveiled a new plan thi…

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If Irish households are so rich, why does it feel like an illusion? 37:31

13d ago37:31

37:31

On this week’s Inside Business, host Ciarán Hancock is joined in studio by senior lecturer in housing at TUD Dublin, Lorcan Sirr. The episode starts with some recent good news, that the net wealth of Irish households is nearly €1.3 trillion, or an average of €228,000 each. Sounds good but as Lorcan explains, this is an illusion. He argues that Irel…

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How AI is beginning to wreak havoc in the jobs market 33:05

20d ago33:05

33:05

On this week’s episode of Inside Business, we look at the role of AI in the hiring and firing of workers. Host Ciarán Hancock is joined on the podcast by Ciara O’Brien of the Irish Times to discuss why Amazon recently announced 14,000 job cuts globally as it seeks to trim expenses. Is this being driven solely by AI? Well, in an update to staff in J…

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Irish business grandee Gary McGann on working with Michael Smurfit, the fall of Anglo Irish and the current state of the Irish economy 1:00:18

27d ago1:00:18

1:00:18

This week on Inside Business host Ciarán Hancock is joined in studio by Gary McGann, a grandee of Irish business whose many roles included being chief executive of drinks group Gilbeys, Aer Lingus and packaging group Smurfit. Born and raised in Dublin, Gary actually began his career in the civil service, with the Comptroller & Auditor General. He s…

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Will Imagine’s big gamble double its customer base? 36:12

1M ago36:12

36:12

This week’s episode of Inside Business sees host Ciarán Hancock joined in studio by Niall Tallon, chief executive of Irish telecoms group Imagine. A minor in the Irish market, the company recently made a bold move offering cheap fibre broadband products along with a promise not to increase those prices for the next five years. This is designed to d…

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Tom O’Brien of Nephin Energy on the importance of gas, the potential of biomethane, and whether our energy bills will come down 38:22

1M ago38:22

38:22

This week’s guest on Inside Business is Tom O’Brien, group chief executive of Nephin Energy. Nephin owns 43 per cent of the Corrib gas field off the west coast of Ireland and also has ambitious plans to develop a network of agri-based biomethane plants across the country. While gas is a polluting fuel it continues to be an important part of our ene…

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Are plug-in hybrids just as polluting as petrol cars? 28:18

2M ago28:18

28:18

There is research from Brussels think tank Transport & Environment suggesting that plug-in hybrids are just as polluting as petrol cars. Neil Briscoe is a motoring expert and writes extensively on this for The Irish Times. And given his knowledge of motoring and our transition to EVs, were the findings a surprise to him? In the second part of the p…

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Dublin Bus CEO on recruitment challenges, going electric, and stamping out anti-social behaviour 38:42

2M ago38:42

38:42

On this episode of Inside Business host Ciarán Hancock is joined in studio by Billy Hann, chief executive of Dublin Bus, the biggest public transport company in our capital city. He joined the State-owned operator almost three years ago after a long career with the Irish Aviation Authority and is charged with leading a company that now transports m…

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Budget 2026: What it means for Irish households and businesses 34:43

2M ago34:43

34:43

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Should we put more money into Irish soccer? 43:43

2M ago43:43

43:43

Ireland’s national soccer team will slide down the international rankings unless significant investment is made in the League of Ireland’s academy system, according to the league’s director Mark Scanlon. He has submitted a proposal to the Department of Finance ahead of Tuesday’s budget requesting €4m annually, rising to €8m after two years to be sp…

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The NFL comes to Dublin: How it became the richest sports league in the world 26:19

3M ago26:19

26:19

The Pittsburgh Steelers will play the Minnesota Vikings at Croke Park this weekend in the first regular-season NFL game to take place on Irish shores. Dublin is now part of a growing roster of cities outside the United States hosting lucrative NFL games. Irishman Paul Holland has worked in the sports marketing industry for many years and has charte…

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Why has the DAA board fallen out with chief executive Kenny Jacobs? 37:45

3M ago37:45

37:45

First up on the Inside Business podcast this week, the rift between the board of the DAA, the State-owned operator of Dublin and Cork airports, and its CEO Kenny Jacobs. The Irish Times reported yesterday that a deal has been agreed between the two sides that will see Jacobs leave his role early with a €1m exit package. Joe Brennan and Martin Wall …

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What can we potentially look forward to in Budget 2026? 43:30

3M ago43:30

43:30

With the budget just under a month away, what will ministers Paschal Donohoe and Jack Chambers deliver on October 7th? The one-off cost-of-living measures of recent budgets may be discontinued, but what will be in their place to help families feeling the pinch? Will there be tax cuts? And what can renters and those looking to buy a home expect? Cli…

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Why are some independent Irish breweries turning off their taps and closing? 42:16

3M ago42:16

42:16

First up on Inside Business this week is the plight of independent Irish breweries, who, like so many now, are finding the cost of doing business to be far too high. This is despite an explosion in the popularity of craft beers here in the last decade. What costs are forcing some operators out of business? How are they coping with competition from …

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Why is the delivery of vital infrastructure so slow in Ireland? 44:53

3M ago44:53

44:53

The predictably slow delivery of infrastructure here has a raft of negative consequences, not least how it undermines our competitiveness in a very challenging global environment. So why are vital projects so slow to get over the line? How does Government prioritise one project over another? And what can be done to streamline the planning process? …

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Why is Ireland not considered a truly rich country? 39:28

4M ago39:28

39:28

The Economist magazine recently published its annual country rich list. Ireland was nowhere to be found on the list in spite of the fact that we are constantly being told that Ireland is one of the world’s richest countries. Host Ciarán Hancock is joined in studio by Cliff Taylor of The Irish Times to talk about how rich we all are, or not as the c…

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‘I don’t think the Department of Finance have any respect for the tourism industry’ 41:44

4M ago41:44

41:44

This week Inside Business is looking at tourism. Data from the Central Statistics Office earlier this year suggested that the number of visitors to the country had fallen off a cliff. Not so said the industry, while acknowledging that the market was a bit soft compared with the past two years of trading. Joining host Ciarán Hancock in studio to dis…

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Influencers beware, Revenue is on the prowl 48:38

4M ago48:38

48:38

We start this week’s episode of Inside Business with a look at how influencers have been reminded recently by Revenue of their obligations to pay tax on their earnings. Siobhan Maguire is a contributor to The Irish Times and wrote an excellent piece this week on this hot topic. She joins host Ciarán Hancock on the line to go through the many ways i…

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Did the EU have its hands tied before striking a trade deal with the US? 23:32

4M ago23:32

23:32

This week host Ciarán Hancock is joined in studio by economist and Irish Times contributor John FitzGerald. He gives his reaction to the EU-US trade deal that will see a 15% tariff rate on European imports going into the US, a deal that he feels the EU had agreed to with ‘two hands tied behind its back’ on account of its continued reliance on the U…

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How will the updated National Development Plan shape Ireland in years to come? 35:59

5M ago35:59

35:59

This week the Government outlined spending of €200 billion on a National Development Plan stretching over the next decade. In parallel it also set out its stall for this year’s budget, signalling a spending and tax package of €9.5 billion. Joining host Ciarán Hancock in studio to dissect these spending plans and tax cuts against a backdrop of a pot…

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David McWilliams on how ‘big incentives’ to build could save Dublin city 36:51

5M ago36:51

36:51

Economist and writer David McWilliams was scathing about the level of dereliction in Dublin city in a recent article in the Irish Times. He suggested tax breaks and other measures to breathe new life back into the capital and to get more people living in the city centre. He joined host Ciarán Hancock to discuss his ideas and how we can learn from t…

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The Juggle: the issues facing women with young children when balancing childcare and their careers 44:30

5M ago44:30

44:30

This week we’re looking at the Juggle that women with young children have to make in Ireland to find a work-life balance. It’s an age-old problem in Ireland with no solution yet in sight. Margaret Ward writes about Work issues each week for the Irish Times as well as running her own consultancy business Clear Eye and she’s written a series of artic…

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How the wealthy are buying up land to avoid inheritance tax 22:03

5M ago22:03

22:03

This week we are looking at the phenomenon of the D4 farmer. Not some wealthy entrepreneur herding cattle in Ballsbridge but wealthy individuals buying up farmland around the country as a wheeze to reduce the inheritance tax bills for their children. How does the tax break work? What impact will it have on land prices? And is anything being done to…

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IATA Director General Willie Walsh on airline profits, air fares and why the Dublin Airport passenger cap makes Ireland a laughing stock 35:56

6M ago35:56

35:56

This week host Ciarán Hancock is joined by Willie Walsh, the director general of IATA, the Geneva-based representative group for the airline industry. Willie will be known to you as the Irish man who was a high-profile chief executive of both Aer Lingus and British Airways. He then became head of IAG, which is the parent group to both of those airl…

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Bobby Healy on why Manna drone delivery could be the ‘biggest technology company in the world for its space’ 1:07:08

6M ago1:07:08

1:07:08

This week we’re flying high with the Irish drone delivery company Manna. Its founder and chief executive is Bobby Healy, who joined host Ciarán Hancock in studio to discuss what he believes is Manna’s massive growth potential. Set up in 2019, Manna only recently began generating revenues and is yet to turn a profit. It is currently flying nine dron…

Inside Business With Ciaran Hancock Podcasts

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Inside Business with Ciaran Hancock

Inside Business with Ciaran Hancock

1
Will the Government’s new plan speed up the delivery of vital infrastructure projects? 38:18

1
If Irish households are so rich, why does it feel like an illusion? 37:31

1
How AI is beginning to wreak havoc in the jobs market 33:05

1
Irish business grandee Gary McGann on working with Michael Smurfit, the fall of Anglo Irish and the current state of the Irish economy 1:00:18

1
Will Imagine’s big gamble double its customer base? 36:12

1
Tom O’Brien of Nephin Energy on the importance of gas, the potential of biomethane, and whether our energy bills will come down 38:22

1
Are plug-in hybrids just as polluting as petrol cars? 28:18

1
Dublin Bus CEO on recruitment challenges, going electric, and stamping out anti-social behaviour 38:42

1
Budget 2026: What it means for Irish households and businesses 34:43

1
Should we put more money into Irish soccer? 43:43

1
The NFL comes to Dublin: How it became the richest sports league in the world 26:19

1
Why has the DAA board fallen out with chief executive Kenny Jacobs? 37:45

1
What can we potentially look forward to in Budget 2026? 43:30

1
Why are some independent Irish breweries turning off their taps and closing? 42:16

1
Why is the delivery of vital infrastructure so slow in Ireland? 44:53

1
Why is Ireland not considered a truly rich country? 39:28

1
‘I don’t think the Department of Finance have any respect for the tourism industry’ 41:44

1
Influencers beware, Revenue is on the prowl 48:38

1
Did the EU have its hands tied before striking a trade deal with the US? 23:32

1
How will the updated National Development Plan shape Ireland in years to come? 35:59

1
David McWilliams on how ‘big incentives’ to build could save Dublin city 36:51

1
The Juggle: the issues facing women with young children when balancing childcare and their careers 44:30

1
How the wealthy are buying up land to avoid inheritance tax 22:03

1
IATA Director General Willie Walsh on airline profits, air fares and why the Dublin Airport passenger cap makes Ireland a laughing stock 35:56

1
Bobby Healy on why Manna drone delivery could be the ‘biggest technology company in the world for its space’ 1:07:08