Business

Mobile network Three said this morning that it has agreed with Telefonica to buy its O2 business in Ireland for €780m. An additional €70m will be paid if agreed financial targets are achieved.Three said the acquisition of O2 will take its market share to 37.5pc and bring subscriber numbers to 2 million active users. The two companies had combined revenues of €803m in 2012, €174m of which was Three’s. “Three is very pleased to have agreed to acquire O2 Ireland, a business whose strengths complement ours very well,” said Three CEO Robert Finnegan. “Since market entry in 2005, Three Ireland has grown organically through innovation, competitive pricing, and quality customer…

Barry O’Leary, chief executive IDA, Minister Michael Noonan, Barry O’Sullivan, Vistakon Ireland plant manager and Minister Richard Bruton Contact lens manufacturer Vistakon Ireland is creating 100 new highly skilled jobs at its site in the National Technology Park, Plassey, Co Limerick, where it is investing €100m in the expansion of its manufacturing operations. The investment, supported by IDA Ireland, will also lead to 200 temporary construction jobs over the next 18 months. Established in Limerick in 1996, Vistakon Ireland designs, manufactures and markets the Acuvue range of soft disposable contact lenses, the world’s number one brand. It is one of several Johnson & Johnson companies operating in Ireland, employing a total of…

Taxt.co – Comprehensive Checklist of Essential Features and Benefits for Small Business Tax Planning and Preparation Services Tailored Tax Strategies for Small Businesses Relevance & Impact: Small businesses have unique tax needs, and a tax planning company should offer customized strategies that align with each business’s goals and structure. Tailored tax planning ensures maximum tax efficiency and compliance, leading to potential tax savings and reduced audit risk. Service Review Advice: Highlight how the tax planning service takes into account the specific industry, business size, and entity type to craft personalized tax strategies. Mention real-world examples of tax optimizations tailored to different business scenarios to demonstrate the company’s expertise in addressing diverse client…

Limerick Institute of Technology (LIT) has announced a significant stimulus for the Limerick and Mid-West region’s economy with the unveiling of its €200m+ ‘Campus 2030 Masterplan’. The Masterplan, launched by Minister Jan O’Sullivan at LIT’s Limerick School of Art & Design (LSAD) city centre campus today, is in response to growth across LIT discipline areas such as art and design, engineering and humanities. It also reflects the expansion in LIT’s Enterprise Centres and the applied research capabilities, which were not part of the original masterplans when the campuses were developed during the late 1990s. The investment will see an additional 50,000sq metres of facilities of new facilities as well as extensive refurbishment…

Clerys on O’Connell Street in Dublin will continue to trade as normal today following the appointment of joint receivers Paul McCann and Michael McAteer of Grant Thornton to Clery & Co (1941) plc, Denis Guiney Ltd and Yterrbium Ltd. The receivers were appointed at the invitation of the directors of these companies, which own and operate the department store. According to a statement from the receivers, the O’Connell Street shop will continue to trade as normal and the 147 jobs in the store remain unaffected by the appointment of the receivers.  Likewise, concessionaire partners at the store and their employees will not be affected. The statement said the receivers are…

Laya Healthcare to create 100 jobs over three years Pictured: D�nal Clancy, managing director, and Lorraine Walsh, marketing manager, Laya Healthcare Laya Healthcare, formerly Quinn Healthcare , has marked its official launch today with the announcement that it plans to create 100 new jobs over the next three years. The company currently employs 343 people at its headquarters in Cork. Laya Healthcare also launched its new cardiac screening initiative, HeartBeat Today, which will allow all members, from the age of 12 upwards, free access to preventative cardiac screening. “This is a hugely exciting day for the private health insurance market and all the team at Laya Healthcare,” said D�nal Clancy, the company’s…

A Wicklow-based mother of two children with autism, Lisa Domican, has developed a new iPhone app that she hopes will help children with autism better build their communications skills. The app, which has already been successfully trialled in the Saplings School in Rathfarnham for children with autism, is called “Grace” (named after Lisa’s daughter) and is based on the principle of picture exchange communication. It was developed by Lisa in conjunction with software developer Steve Troughton-Smith, and with the support of Telefonica O2 Ireland . “As the mother of two children with autism, I know it works, I’ve seen the positive impact it has had on my own children, and therefore I can…

The development of a new hotel and residential complex in the Grand Canal Dock will create 200 construction jobs over the next year and result in 100 hospitality jobs when it opens in February 2013. By completion, more than €120m will be invested in The Marker, which will include 187 guest rooms over six floors, as well as 84 two-bedroom residential apartments, which will be available to rent or buy and will have full access to the hotel’s amenities. The hotel will be operated by Interstate Hotels & Resorts and will be a Leading Hotels of the World member. According to its owners, it’s being designed to appeal to both…

The key differentiator between ‘Lean’ processes in Japan and Europe is that in Japan there is less focus on hard automation and more on the development of people, according to Dr. Richard Keegan, a fellow of the Institute of Engineers and manager of the competitiveness department at Enterprise Ireland. Keegan had first exposed to the concept around 16 years ago in his capacity as the European advisor to the EU-Japan Centre for Industrial Co-operation when he went to a Toyota plant. “Being an engineer and having the opportunity to see the Lean best practice in real life was an eye-opener. The first thing I noticed was all the flashing lights…

Following revelations that Quinn Insurance lost more than €700m in the year prior to it being placed into administration, former head of the insurer Sean Quinn is still insisting the blame lies with the accountants currently in charge. Quinn has claimed that the business had €1.1bn in liquid assets and €464m in property when Michael McAteer and Paul McCann were appointed as administrators.