Neuromod fundraising, office market slump, proxy adviser backs Kingspan’s Murtagh

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Take up in the Dublin office market slumped in the first three months of the year. Photograph: Tom Honan for The Irish Times.
Take up in the Dublin office market slumped in the first three months of the year. Photograph: Tom Honan for The Irish Times.

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Demand for office space in Dublin has fallen sharply on the back of a global slowdown in tech and as more employees opt for hybrid working conditions, according to CBRE. Eoin Burke-Kennedy reports.

Irish medtech group Neuromod Devices has raised €30 million to fund its expansion into the US market in one of the biggest fundraisings by an Irish company this year. Dominic Coyle reports.

Kingspan chief executive Gene Murtagh has received “qualified support” from a leading advisory firm to shareholders for his re-election at the company’s upcoming annual general meeting, Joe Brennan reports, pending the publication of a final report on an inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire in London that killed 72 people in 2017.

Joe also reports that a shareholder in Ires Reit, the State’s largest private residential landlord, said it plans to vote against the re-election of the company’s chairman and a number of other directors at its upcoming agm, saying its pleas to explore a sale of the “undervalued” company have been ignored.

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The Government needs to invest in port infrastructure in advance of wind farm development in Irish waters if it is to fully exploit offshore wind energy resources, according to a report commissioned by an industry group. Kevin O’Sullivan has the details.

Discount retailer Euro Giant last year saw pretax profit jump by a quarter last year to €1.99 million. Gordon Deegan has read the accounts.

Gordon also reports on plans for a 56 bedroom building for staff at Powerscourt Hotel, which faces opposition from the Slazenger family which controls the estate.

Cantillon highlights the banks different attitude to consumers’ savings compared to companies, and also is somewhat sceptical of how much it means for Twitter to be breaking even after severe cost cutting in recent months.

Sales at farmer-owned milk processor Lakeland Dairies surged 45 per cent last year to €1.9 billion as demand and prices grew. Barry O’Halloran reports.

Staying with the dairy sector, Eoin Burke-Kennedy reports that Dairygold posted record revenue and profits last year on the back of what it described as “an extraordinary year for dairy prices.”

Plans for a 811-apartment scheme on the grounds of St Vincent’s hospital in Fairview in Dublin 3 have been lodged with the city council. Gordon has read the plans.

Irish car buyers increasingly opted for electric vehicles last month, new figures from the Central Statistics Office showed, with the battery-powered cars now accounting for 16 per cent of new vehicles registered in the State in March. Ciara O’Brien read the report.

One-time civil servant John Moran and Microsoft strategy director Aisling Curtis are joining the board of Shannon Airport Group. Barry has the story.

VHI Group’s net surplus slumped by almost half last year as claims rose due to rebounding demand at its key private health insurance arm for healthcare services following the worst of the pandemic and its investments portfolio posted an €18.6 million loss. Joe has the story.

In her column, Karlin Lillington weighs in on that age-old debate: if you listen to an audiobook, have you read the book?

Heathrow Airport owner Ferrovial faces a crucial vote from shareholders in its home of Spain ahead of a planned relocation to the Netherlands. Guy Hedgecow is following the story.

Chris Horn asks a question that is becoming ever more pertinent: is the world ready for AI?

Ciara O’Brien meanwhile meets the Irishman who set out to revolutionise the car rental market.

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