Sterling’s Brexit wobbles, recession fears, and a possible Backstop solution

Traders are bracing for more big price swings in sterling between now and the expected October 31st Brexit date, with a three-month volatility gauge hitting its highest level of the year on Thursday.

Amid the Brexit turmoil John FitzGerald suggests one way to resolve the Backstop deadlock: replicate the UK's free port plan for Teeside and Milford Haven across the North.

In Agenda this week, Eoin Burke-Kennedy asks whether the latest CSO data, which showed employment numbers falling for the first time in seven years, was another blinking warning light in the cockpit of the Irish economy or merely a statistical anomaly.

Higher earners could see an increase in their personal tax burden in the upcoming budget as a way of funding tax cuts for those on lower incomes, one of the leading accounting firms has said.

Traders brace for more sterling volatility as Brexit showdown looms

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The UK already has a plan that would break the Brexit backstop deadlock

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Wage growth in Irish economy accelerates at fastest rate in a decade

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Record employment with 2.3m people at work in Irish economy

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Construction is set to start on Decathlon's new Dublin flagship store next week. The Ballymun store will boast 1,500sq m of outdoor playground – some of which will be covered – and an indoor practice area for people to test the products. Those include its new range of GAA football gear.

Peter Hamilton visits the latest development by Iconic Offices, the State's largest flexible workspace provider, which marks its first foray into hospitality with a €500,000 cafe and restaurant opening at its offices in Dublin's Liberties.

A criminal investigation is being conducted into a security company which has an estimated deficit in its client account of €1.8 million, the High Court has heard. Clients who claim they are owed money include the Irish Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Children and Horse Racing Ireland.

A British holiday rental company, Hashtag Hotels Ltd, has fallen into administration leaving at least 35 workers in its Dublin operation without pay, in some cases for two months.

On the back of its sweet deal with US confectionery giant Hershey's, the chief executive of fast-growing Irish snack brand Fulfil is the interview of the week. The move by America's largest chocolate and snacks brand to take a minority stake in Fulfil offers massive opportunities for the brand, but as Brian O'Sullivan tells Dominic Coyle, at the end of the day it's all about the taste.

Finally, in his Caveat column, Mark Paul traces the roots of the deal that saw a company founded by Irish investors embroiled in a dispute with the Nigerian government which recently led to a $9 billion legal judgment.

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