Current Account: The rapid rise in energy prices this year has proved a mixed blessing for the Irish corporate sector. Many have struggled to pass on the significant increase in costs.
However, for one constituent of the Iseq, the energy "crisis" has been more of a business opportunity than a burden. Figures this week from building materials group Kingspan illustrate that when you're on a roll, everything seem to go your way. Every one of the Cavan group's five business divisions was reported to be benefiting from the increased focus on energy efficiency among customers.
The company's profit margin before interest and tax leapt to 13 per cent from 11.5 per cent a year earlier and well ahead of the most optimistic analyst's expectations as new regulations and rising energy costs saw people invest in the group's leading edge insulation.
Still the travails of Kingspan's peers were brought into clear focus with the announcement the same day of underwhelming figures from Kerry Group. Despite growing sales by 7 per cent year-on-year in the first half, the food and ingredients combine saw profits slide 4.3 per cent and trading margins weaken to 7.2 per cent.
Blame for the figures was placed primarily on rising energy bills. As ever, it appears one group's challenge is another's opportunity.
O'Leary ready to lose over banned underwear
Not known for humility or self-doubt, Ryanair chief Michael O'Leary was this week in a refreshingly self-deprecating mood.
The Ryanair boss currently has the British government in his sights over security restrictions put in place after the recent terror alerts at London airports. The low-cost carrier claims the restrictions are unnecessary and place an unfair burden on its operations.
The airline is taking a legal action against the UK government as a result. Good news for Ryanair's lawyers, but probably bad news for Ryanair shareholders. Its record in winning legal actions is pretty poor, so there is a decent chance Ryanair will be left paying the costs once again.
O'Leary admitted the airline win rate in the courts was pretty abysmal. "If you look at Ryanair's record on legal actions, I am anything but confident. I think our legal record is about 99 losses and one win," he acknowledged.
As for the politicans and security authorities who have imposed the restrictions. O'Leary was less than flattering about these well-intentioned folk. He said they were stupidly confiscating innocuous items like ladies' lipsticks and gel-filled bras.
"Most of them couldn't identify a gel-filled bra if it jumped up and bit them anyway," he said.
Life in the fast lane
It seems non-EU executives working for multinationals here need not fear the Cabinet's decision to accede to Michael McDowell's wish that people coming from countries outside the EU might be summarily deported upon conviction of a range of offences, including traffic offences.
The Minister reportedly intends to introduce a law obliging immigrants to keep the laws of the land, with the threat of deportation being designed to "give teeth" to the proposal.
However, a spokesman for the Minister did not go along with the view that such a scheme could see senior executives who run multinationals employing hundreds - if not thousands - of people, being deported if they are ever caught driving too fast on the N7.
"The practical applications of that provision have still to be worked out. How it would would apply to particular circumstances has yet to be developed," Current Account was told.
Negotiating under fire
There have been several bruising encounters at aircraft maintenance firm SR Technics over recent years. Siptu, the largest union in the country, represents a significant portion of its 1,100 workforce. As recently as last year Siptu was at loggerheads with the company over the loss of almost 200 jobs.
However the company has new owners in the shape of three companies from the United Arab Emirates. Among them is a firm called Mubadala, chaired by the president of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), His Highness Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Al Nahyan. If he decides to get involved in union-management relations at his new company, Siptu might want to tread carefully. He happens to be the supreme commander of the armed forces in UAE.
