A British exit from the EU could be more costly for Ireland than for the UK itself, according to a report by the London-based think tank, Open Europe.
The report concludes that the UK could take major actions to offset the negative impact of its exit from the EU, but that this could prove more difficult for Ireland because of our land border with Northern Ireland and our dependence on Anglo-Irish trade.
In a worst-case scenario, where the UK was not in a position to negotiate favourable trade terms with the EU, the impact on Ireland could be a permanent loss of 3 percent of GDP by 2030, according to Open Europe.
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Staying on the UK and the EU - the President of the European commission, Jean-Claude Juncker has ruled out any treaty negotiations with the UK for two years if it elects to leave the EU.
David Cameron and the conservative party are hoping to be re-elected in the upcoming general election on a platform that promises an in/out referendum on EU membership.
Agreeing new trade deals with the EU would be critical for the UK if it was to leave the union. The referendum pledge has been criticised by Ed Miliband and the Labour Party.
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The recruitment company, Hays, is seeking to recruit 60 new full-time jobs for its Irish operation.
The company, which employs 100 people here currently, says the new roles are ideally suited for graduates and will be based in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Limerick.
According to Richard Heardly, Managing Director of Hays Ireland, the firm’s hiring plans reflect growing economic recovery here and higher levels of activity across many sectors including construction.
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The EU is expected to formally accuse Google of abusing its dominant position in internet searches, and favouring its own services in its search results later today - this is according to leaks that have appeared in both the Wall Street Journal and Financial Times.
This could lead to massive fines being imposed on the company - or it being forced to change its business model. The EU could impose fines of up to €5.6bn on the company.
The case is five years old - Reuters reports this morning that it might take the EU longer to table charges. Over 90 percent of internet searches in Europe are carried out by Google.
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Spawell and Village at Lyons for sale - two well-known, if very different, commercial properties in the Greater Dublin Area have been placed on the market.
The 600-acre Lyons Estate near Newcastle Co. Dublin, restored by the late Tony Ryan of GPA and still owned by his family, has been placed for sale.
The complex, some of which dates to the 18th century, currently operates principally as a wedding venue, but is expected to be the target of some of the major hotel investors that have been active in the Irish market over the past two years.
Meanwhile the Spawell, one of Dublin’s best-known leisure complexes, located just off the M50 near Tallaght, has been placed on the market by receivers Grant Thornton on the instructions of NAMA at an offer price of €6.5m.
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One51, the environmental services and investment holding group that spun out of the former IAWS plc, says that it has up to €90m in capital to acquire new businesses - should the opportunities arise.
The company has reported a more than 350 percent increase in post-tax profits to €12.7m and a 10 percent increase in revenues to €276m for the past financial year.
One51, which is currently in the process of exiting from its significant shareholding in the renewable energy group, NTR, is seen as a strong candidate for listing on the Dublin and Stock Exchanges when that exit process is completed.
