Rents rise, ‘extreme’ case of fuel-laundering, and Sean FitzPatrick - the poster child turned whipping boy of banking

Rents are now rising at an annual rate of 6.8 per cent, according to the latest quarterly report from daft.ie.

The report, which tracks monthly asking prices or market rents, linked the increase to an “unprecedented” shortage of rental property in the Irish market.

It said there were just 1,460 homes to rent on its website as of November 1st last, the lowest number since its quarterly series began in 2006. This included just 820 in Dublin. Eoin Burke-Kennedy has the details .

Sean FitzPatrick who died yesterday, aged 73, was not terribly keen to meet with Simon Carswell in 2007 when he started as our Finance Correspondent but he eventually managed to convince the then Anglo chairman to go for a coffee. Here, Simon looks back at the life of the poster child turned whipping boy of Irish banking.

State’s power grid to handle 80% renewable energy within a decade

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Eirgrid chief says getting public on board critical to switch to renewable electricity

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Grafton Group increases profit forecast for year in spite of supply chain pressures

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Martin Wolf: Britain playing a reckless game over Northern Ireland protocol

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A man from Co Monaghan and a woman from Co Armagh have been disqualified from acting as company directors for 15 years because of their involvement with what the High Court said was an "extreme" case of fuel-laundering. Colm Keena reports.

Britain's game of Brexit chicken will end badly , writes Martin Wolf. In his column, he argues that in threatening to repudiate its deal with the EU, the UK is undermining its credibility as a reliable partner.

The Guinness Enterprise Centre in the Liberties area of Dublin, is to play host to a new healthtech cluster as part of a collaboration with St James's Hospital, writes Charlie Taylor. The St James's Hospital Innovation Centre @ the GEC, will be focused on medical devices and digital health. The idea is to support star-ups that are developing solutions that could be trialled at the nearby hospital.

Charlie also reports that digital property investment platform BidX1 has been valued at €66 million after securing investment of around €13 million from two new backers. Italian financial services group DoValue has taken a 10 per cent stake in the Irish proptech company, while US-headquartered management consulting firm Oliver Wyman is acquiring a 5 per cent stake for about €3 million.

Ahascragh Distillery in Co Galway is seeking to raise at least €1.5 million in a share sale in the coming weeks. The group said the transformation of the old Ahascragh Mills into a "world class distillery and visitor experience" is moving forward at pace, and is now seeking to bring new investors on board.

Has the delivery of student accommodation in Dublin peaked? Fiona Reddan examines a report for this week's Commercial Property section that says the new supply of student accommodation looks set to evaporate as construction slows down.

Fiona also writes that a development site with full planning permission to build 158 homes and a crèche has come to the market in Blackrock, Co Louth, seeking €3.25 million. The coastal site has permission for a range of home types, including apartments and houses.

Meanwhile, one of Ireland's largest motor showrooms on Airton Road in Tallaght, Dublin 24, has come to market seeking €5 million, as owner Fort Motor Group rationalises its Dublin outlets.

You can read all the rest of today's Commerical Property news, here.

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