BusinessPlus

Gabriel Makhlouf, the governor of the Central Bank, has warned that there could be a €25.7bn deficit in the public finances by 2030 if Budget spending overruns persist. In a letter to Tánaiste and Minister for Finance Simon Harris, Makhlouf said that current projections show the general government balance, excluding 'windfall' corporation tax receipts, will widen from €7.1bn in 2025 to €20.4bn in 2030.

RTÉ has announced Joe Mag Raollaigh as the new managing editor of Nuacht, the Irish-language news and current affairs across RTÉ and TG4. A fluent Irish speaker, Mag Raollaigh will have editorial and managerial responsibility for all Nuacht television output as well as digital news content in Irish on RTÉ News platforms. Mag Raollaigh will commence his new role in August, replacing Joe Reddington, who retired earlier this summer.

RTÉ has announced Joe Mag Raollaigh as the new managing editor Nuacht, the Irish-language news and current affairs across RTÉ and TG4. A fluent Irish speaker, Mag Raollaigh will have editorial and managerial responsibility for all Nuacht television output as well as digital news content in Irish on RTÉ News platforms.

Intel has announced €5bn in capital investment to increase capacity at its Leixlip campus with plans to add hundreds of jobs. The chipmaker is planning strategic investment at the Co Kildare site to expand production output and advance research and development activities amid rising global demand for AI and high-performance computing. The expansion will involve upgrading existing fabrication facilities as well as the installation of leading-edge manufacturing equipment.

Property advisory company Lisney has announced eight senior appointments, including five new directors and three new divisional directors. Jennifer Gaffney has been promoted to director of property management four years after joining Lisney. She has more than 10 years' experience in property management, and she has managed a broad range of commercial and residential assets in both Ireland and the US. Robert Lawson has been named director of residential sales at Lisney's Ballsbridge office.

SYS Financial has announced the acquisition of Galway financial advisory firm Q Financial, adding €120m in client assets under management. Claregalway-based Q Financial provides a comprehensive range of financial services including pensions, investment management, life insurance, mortgages, retirement planning and wealth management. The company's proprietary asset UnlockPension.ie is expected to improve service capability for SYS Financial's clients.

Woodie's DIY and Chadwicks owner Grafton Group saw modest growth in like-for-like sales during the first half of its current financial year. Growth in Ireland, Spain, Portugal and northern Europe offset weaker performance in Britain, the group said in a trading update.

Robert 'Pico' Lopes will have 'trouble trying to walk down the street' now that he is a household name - and he can expect some lucrative earning opportunities to go with his 'overnight' fame, according to a leading sports marketing executive. The Shamrock Rovers captain won the hearts of viewers across four stellar performances for Cape Verde at the World Cup - crowned by last week's narrow extra-time defeat to Lionel Messi's Argentina, writes Colm McGuirk.

A staggering €160million has been unclaimed in national lottery prize money over a decade, new figures show. Players of lottery games forfeited cash at a rate of more than €1million a month between 2015 and 2024 because many of the participants failed to check or mislay their Lotto slips or scratch cards. The year with the highest unclaimed total was 2023 when lottery players failed to collect winnings totalling €19.6million.

A brilliantly playful picture book by Irish author and playwright Neil Sharpson and illustrator Dan Santat has taken the top prize at this year’s KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards, shining a spotlight on the imagination, humour, and creative ambition shaping children’s literature. Sharpson and Santat were named winners of the KPMG Book of the Year Award for Don’t Trust Fish!, a sharp, funny, and visually rich picture book that stood out among a strong field of shortlisted titles.