Press Up heading for the stock market, and new privacy rules ‘critical’ to DPC’s reputation

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

The newly-restored Stella Theatre in Rathmines, Dublin, which is part of the Press Up hospitality group.  Photograph: Bryan O’Brien  / THE IRISH TIMES
The newly-restored Stella Theatre in Rathmines, Dublin, which is part of the Press Up hospitality group. Photograph: Bryan O’Brien / THE IRISH TIMES

Paddy McKillen Jnr's Press Up hospitality group is considering a stock market flotation to help finance its breakneck expansion. The company has hired Goodbody Stockbrokers to assess its options. Joe Brennan and Mark Paul have all the details.

Incoming EU privacy rules covering online personal data make this year "existentially critical" to the reputation of the Data Protection Commissioner and Ireland, the regulator said in a budget submission to Government last year. Commissioner Helen Dixon pushed for a massive increase in public funding, arguing that it would become the pan-EU regulator for most of the world's top internet companies, including Facebook and Twitter. Simon Carswell reports.

In her weekly media and marketing column, Laura Slattery looks at how premium services have paid off for Spotify, the world's largest music streaming company, which is gearing up to float on the New York Stock Exchange.

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Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock is Business Editor of The Irish Times