Ibec Brexit fear; fading attractions; and battle over funding for Dublin Airport plan

Business lobby Ibec wants the Government to announce in tomorrow's budget a €1.5 billion three-year fund to support the economy, and protect it from losses of up to €500 million a year in export sales to the UK. Charlie Taylor has the details.

Cutting through the spin, artifice and downright fiction of Brexit is exercising Chris Johns again as he looks at the power of economic narrative. On one point he is certain: no customs union means border posts are inevitable, regardless of what any politician might say.

Brexit might also be a factor as visitor numbers are falling at Ireland's leading tourism attractions – places like the Cliffs of Moher and the Guinness Storehouse – according to those operating the venues. Mark Paul reports.

Aer Lingus, meanwhile, has taken issue with protestations by the airport operator DAA that it will not be able to fund a €1.8 billion expansion at Dublin airport if passengers charges are cut as is proposed, writes Ciarán Hancock

Datalex appoints Sean Corkery as permanent chief executive

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Planners back €75m Carrickmines retail centre

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Irish IT recruitment platform Techfynder to hire 50 people in Dublin

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Meath payments company investing €50m in expansion

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Big Four accountants and consultant EY are promising to deliver 600 jobs over the next year and, while this figure does include over 300 graduate trainees, it also involves the recruitment of 237 qualified staff, writes Charlie Taylor.

Finally, Pilita Clarke argues that the same self-belief and willpower that saw Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg turn down what seemed like a win-win $1 billion offer for the business back in 2006 from the then behemoth Yahoo could yet prove to be his downfall as Facebook struggles to meet changing public expectations.

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