Business

Business sentiment in the first quarter of 2015 rose to an eight-year high in the latest survey from KBC Bank Ireland/ Chartered Accountants Ireland on the back of increases in activity and employment. The business sentiment index had a reading of 127.7 in Q1 2015, up from 124.3 in the final quarter of 2014.  The latest KBC Bank Ireland / Chartered Accountants Ireland Business Sentiment Survey is based on responses from 354 accountants working in senior positions in leading companies. According to the survey, Irish business conditions have continued to improve in early 2015. While the pace of output growth eased marginally in the past three months, employment growth picked…

A new monitor of residential planning activity in the Dublin region across the four local authorities shows that there were 2,363 planning applications (for 25 plus unit schemes) in the first quarter of the year. Dublin Residential Planning Activity Sees Mixed Results in Q1 2015 This was an increase of 6pc compared to the final quarter of 2014 (2,234 permissions), but is down 40pc on the number of similar applications for Q3 2014 (3,734 permissions). The Quarterly Housing Development Monitor is published by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI), the professional representative body for the property, land and construction sectors, in conjunction with Future Analytics Consulting. Call for Swift…

KBC Bank Ireland has officially opened the doors of its retail banking hub in the heart of Dundrum village. According to KBC, it brings greater competition and choice to consumers in south Dublin. It’s located in Unit G-14, Dundrum Village Shopping Centre. RTÉ Radio personality Brenda Donohue was the MC for the morning’s activities, which included a special guest appearance from former Irish international and Leinster rugby player Shane Horgan. He signed autographs, took pictures and participated in a special sports Q&A with Donohue. “The official opening of KBC’s hub in the heart of Dundrum Shopping Centre was a big day for staff and all our customers,” said Kerri McCaughey,…

Construction Sector Output Grows by 10% in 2014, Forecasts Strong Growth Ahead Paragraph: According to a report released by the Society of Chartered Surveyors Ireland (SCSI), the volume of output in the construction sector witnessed a significant growth of 10% in 2014, reaching €11 billion. Furthermore, the report predicts a substantial increase of approximately 26% in the sector’s output over the next two years. Housebuilding and Commercial Property to Drive Future Growth Paragraph: The SCSI’s report, titled ‘Irish Construction Prospects to 2016’ and prepared in collaboration with DKM Economic Consultants, highlights that the growth in construction output will be primarily driven by increased activities in housebuilding and commercial property sectors.…

Global property company Kennedy Wilson and its equity partners, in a joint venture with the National Asset Management Agency (Nama) has submitted planning for its visionary development on Sir John Rogerson’s Quay in Dublin 2. Extending over 4.8 acres, Capital Dock is one of the largest undeveloped sites in Dublin CBD (Central Business District) and will deliver over 600,000 sq ft of new space at this prime waterfront location. It will include 313,000 sq ft of office space across three buildings and 204 high quality residential units across two buildings, one of which will incorporate a 19-storey tower. The proposed development, which is bounded by water on two sides, places…

UK holiday company Center Parcs has officially announced plans to develop a €200m holiday village in Co Longford that will create 1,000 jobs. The company said 750 jobs will be created in construction phase followed by up to 1,000 permanent jobs. The holiday village will be located at Newcastle Wood, five kilometres from Ballymahon, County Longford, and 21 kilometres from junction 9 (Athlone) of the M6 motorway.  Center Parcs has signed an option agreement with Coillte, which currently owns the 375 acre site. The new Center Parcs, which will have capacity for up to 2,500 guests, is expected to open in 2019, subject to receiving planning permission. Center Parcs said…

Global gaming technology services provider Xanadu Consultancy has been awarded a multi-million euro contract to enhance Matchbook.com’s betting exchange platform. Global gaming technology services provider Xanadu awarded Matchbook.com contract Matchbook.com has engaged Xanadu to deliver a comprehensive re-architecture of the global sports trading platform to provide an even faster and more efficient trading exchange for users.   
 
 “Matchbook.com provides a market-leading sports trading experience for our users,” said Roibeard Long, spokesperson at Matchbook.com.“We want to future proof the trading platform so that as activity on the site scales due to the exchange’s popularity Matchbook.com can continue to provide a resilient and reliable exchange that has the capacity to transact thousands…

US-based testing company Prometric has entered into a three-year research partnership with Dublin City University (DCU) valued at around €1m which will create 40 new jobs in Dundalk, Co Louth. Supported by IDA Ireland, Prometric has invested more than €75m in Ireland over ten years of operation and this announcement means a further injection of more than €3.5m to expand its Co Louth presence and partner with DCU. In Dundalk, Prometric’s 40 new jobs will add finance and customer service functions to its test development, technology, operations and human resources teams already there. When all hiring is complete, the company expects to have 168 employees in Ireland, 147 of which…

Finnair announced today that it is extending its new Dublin-Helsinki route into the winter season. The airline’s new service between the two cities started this morning. Last September, Finnair announced the route, which it said at the time would operate six days a week from 30 March until the end of October. The route is being served with 100-seat Embraer 190 aircraft operated on behalf of Finnair by Flybe Finland. Today, it said the service will operate three times a week from October to March. “We are delighted to see Finnair extend its new Dublin-Helsinki route into the winter season. “The fact that Finnair is extending the service so quickly…