Business

Vodafone has announced its intention to buy Kabel Deutschland for €87 per share, giving the German triple play cable provider’s entire share capital a value of €7.7bn (£6.6bn). Vodafone said the transaction will be implemented as a voluntary public tender offer by its wholly-owned subsidiary Vodafone Vierte Verwaltungsgesellschaft for €84.50 per share in cash plus the payment of the €2.50 dividend announced by Kabel Deutschland on 20 February 2013. Subject to their review of the formal offer document, Kabel Deutschland’s management and supervisory boards intend to recommend shareholders accept the offer. Following completion of the transaction, Vodafone will have 32.4 million mobile, 5 million broadband and 7.6 million direct TV…

The number of professional jobs on offer was 20pc higher in May, at 9,434, compared to a year ago and 5pc up on April of this year, according to the Morgan McKinley Irish Employment Monitor. The number of professionals seeking new job opportunities increased by 2pc to 10,135 in May 2013. This upward trend has built slowly from January when 9,735 job seekers were recorded. However, on a yearly basis the number of job seekers has overall declined by 20pc from May 2012  to stand at 10,135 in May of this year. Karen O’Flaherty, chief operations officer, Morgan McKinley said it remained “cautiously optimistic”. “Though modest, the 5pc increase represents the…

Permanent TSB Group is back in the banking business with plans to approve lending of up to nine times more this year than in 2012, the chairman said today. Speaking at its annual general meeting, Alan Cook said the group is competing again for mortgage business, car loans, educational loans and current accounts. “We’ve been able to open the doors to lending through Permanent TSB again,” he said. The ‘Bank plus Two’ strategy, designed to create three distinct businesses, shows it is making “real progress” in addressing its problems and taking decisive action to improve the position of customers and the taxpayer, he noted. “Our strategy is now settled and…

Queen Mary 2 arrival to kick off Dun Laoghaire cruise ship season The arrival into Dún Laoghaire of Cunard Line flagship vessel Queen Mary 2 this Thursday (16 May) will kick off a busy cruise ship season for the port. Up to six cruise vessels are expected to use the facilities at Dún Laoghaire from May to July this year, bringing potentially up to 15,000 passengers and crew ashore. The highlight of the season is expected to be the visit of Queen Mary 2, which has 3,000 passengers and several hundred crew members aboard. The ship is currently travelling from Hamburg to Greenock in Scotland, where it will arrive tomorrow.…

Cisco Remote Expert Cisco has launched a new technology in Ireland that will allow retail banking customers to have virtual face-to-face meetings with banking specialists and experts from any bank branch in real-time via high-definition video. Cisco Remote Expert Smart Solution for Retail is designed to take advantage of the expertise and sales potential of specialty lending, wealth management and other types of banking advisers. Cisco has signed its first contract in Ireland for the new technology with AIB, which recently launched its first digital banking store, The Lab (Learn about banking), in Dundrum Town Centre. The Lab incorporates the latest Cisco Remote Expert video booths where visitors can use…

Aramark Ireland is planning to create 25 jobs over the next 12 to 18 months as it expands its energy management division. The company said the expansion follows recent success in implementing significant energy projects on behalf of organisations including Forfás, Liffey Meats and the Royal Victoria Eye & Ear Hospital. Chief executive Donal O’Brien said the company’s green business is set to grow exponentially as the EU transitions to a competitive low-carbon economy. “Realising the energy efficiency potential of buildings is central to the EU’s energy efficiency policy and we anticipate growing demand for our building retrofit services which will create additional employment of engineering and science graduates in…

The Direct Selling Association of Ireland (DSAI) has released new figures that show a significant rise in the number of people turning to direct selling since the start of the recession, as a way to earn additional income. The new figures show a 121pc increase in distributor numbers since the Irish recession began in 2008, whilst sales throughout the industry for the same period have more than doubled, with three of the largest direct selling companies in Ireland reporting a 103pc increase in sales between 2008 and 2012. Members of the DSAI include Amway, Forever Living and Herbalif. In addition, the DSAI has revealed that there has been substantial rise…

The alcohol market in Ireland is declining as it is hit by continued economic weakness, taxation increases and changing consumer behaviour, according to the Drinks Industry Group of Ireland’s (DIGI) annual ‘Drinks Market Performance Report’. The report, by Anthony Foley of Dublin City University’s Business School, found that the volume of bar sales of alcohol continued to decline by a further 6pc in 2012. The total decline in the volume of bar sales of alcohol over the past 5 years is now 32.7pc. This decline is having a significant impact on jobs in this employment-intensive sector, where over 6,000 bar jobs alone have been lost since 2009. The specialist off…

The National Autistic Society (NAS) UK has renewed Irish healthcare company Nua Healthcare’s quality autism provision accreditation. In 2009, Nua Healthcare was the first and only adult autism service in the Republic of Ireland to achieve accredited status and is the sole Irish autism service provider to receive accreditation from the organization this year. With 14 facilities in Kildare, Laois, Offaly, and Dublin, Nua Healthcare provides specialized residential, respite and day services to individuals with autistic spectrum disorders, borderline personality disorders, brain injuries and mental health issues. Nua Healthcare’s director of operations Noel Dunne and senior services manager, Liz O’ Neill met with the National Autistic Society in London earlier…