Ronan’s tax residency change, Dublin airport’s runway noise, and Black Friday bargains

Business Today: the best news, analysis and comment from The Irish Times business desk

Regulators want to close Dublin Airport’s new runway nightly from midnight to 6am to limit noise. Photograph: iStock

Property developer Johnny Ronan has changed his personal tax residency to Malta, which is considered a tax haven by some campaigners. Until last month Ronan was officially recorded on company documents as living at in Enniskerry, Co Wicklow. Two weeks ago, however, he signed a document stating he is now based at a flat overlooking the harbour in Birzebbuga, a coastal town in south Malta. Mark Paul has the details.

Irish group Kingspan should be one of several companies facing bills for repairs to buildings now judged unsafe following a fire that killed 72 people, a British government minister suggested this week. Barry O'Halloran reports that Michael Gove indicated to a UK parliament committee that he intended to make Kingspan,among others, pay to bring buildings into line with regulations passed following the Grenfell fire.

Barry also reports that regulators want to close Dublin Airport's new runway nightly from midnight to 6am to limit noise. The Airport Noise Competent Authority will publish a draft ruling today offering locals living close to the gateway up to €20,000 to pay for insulation and potentially limiting night-time aircraft movements.

Co Donegal-based data technology company Content Llama has secured €2.5 million investment with the financing to be used to create 20 new jobs and for expansion purposes. Founded in 2019, the company has developed a platform that automates the collection, configuration and delivery of multi-source product content for e-commerce retailers.

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In this week's podcast, Simon Carswell and Ciarán Hancock look back on the career of Seán FitzPatrick, while Eoin Burke-Kennedy outlines who the real aviation climate villains are.

In her column this week, Karlin Lillington writes that Pegasus spyware should not be sold to malevolent forces and rogue states and that the targeting of Palestinian activists' phones is the latest evidence of its abuse.

This year's Black Friday Sale will be a little different than usual. A combination of supply chain issues, chip shortages and Covid-induced problems have put the brakes on some of the big discounts we have become accustomed to in this American-adopted shopping day. Some prices aren't always what they seem, however, so Ciara O'Brien has these top tips to ensure you're actually getting a bargain.

Ciara also reviews the OneSonic MXS-HD1 ear buds which she says is a great noise-cancelling product that doesn't break the bank.

In Innovation, Olive Keogh looks at how breakthrough treatments for breathlessness and bone infections are two of the technologies being showcased at this year's Enterprise Ireland-backed Big Ideas event.

Olive also speaks to Dave Mulligan, the man behind Dublin's latest drinks start-up, Craft Cocktails, which are hand-mixed and produced in the capital using premium spirits.

You can read today's Cantillons, on the passing of the Local Property Tax deadline, and Glanbia's plans to sell its remaining 40 per cent stake in Glanbia Ireland, here.

And finally, Patrick Sisson write about how retailers are taking the next step with foot-traffic trackers as tech innovators helping entertainment venues and retailers to count crowds and study shopping habits.

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Nora-Ide McAuliffe

Nora-Ide McAuliffe

Nora-Ide McAuliffe is an Audience Editor with The Irish Times