주아일랜드 대한민국 대사관

General News

• Communications Minister Denis Naughten has said he sincerely regrets expressing his opinion to a PR executive for Independent News and Media regarding a sensitive media merger. Minister Naughten’s phone call with the executive has consumed the government this week, with Sinn Fein in particular calling for the minister to step aside.

• A new IPSOS/MRBI opinion poll in the Irish Times shows an increase in support for Sinn Féin and a fall for Fine Gael.  Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has seen a 5% drop (from 60% to 55%), but he remains by far the most popular leader per the poll.

The figures are:
FG - 34% (-3)
FF - 26% (+1)
SF - 22% (+3)
Lab - 5% (+1)
GP - 3% (NC)
Sol/PBP - 2% (NC)
SD - 1% (NC)
IA - 1% (NC)

Non-aligned Independents are on 6%.

• A Facebook executive appearing in front of an Oireachtas Committee, apologised for the company’s role in the Cambridge Analytica data scandal. The executive used his opportunity in front of the Oireachtas Committee to announce that the company will roll out a new tool in Ireland that will allow users to see all ads that an advertiser is running on the platform ahead of the 8th amendment referendum on the 25th of May. He said that the company’s focus is now on “election integrity.”

• The government is to make a "diplomatic push" in the US in a bid to save 450 jobs at Aughinish Alumina in Limerick according to a front page story. The paper claims that the company's viability is in jeopardy due to US sanctions against its Russia parent company.

• Electric car drivers are to get a 75% discount on toll charges on the M50 and other motorways under proposals by the Department of Transport to encourage drivers to adopt more environmentally friendly vehicles.

Business / Economy

• Electronics retailer Click.ie is to go into liquidation leaving customers out-of-pocket and staff unpaid. The company sells mobile phones, tablets and other gadgets in its shops and online. Elsewhere, the Sunday Independent claims the liquidation will cost up to 20 jobs.

• Regional pharmacy chain Sam McCauley has embarked on €50m acquisition sprees that will double the size of its business over the next three years, according to the top story. The company, which owns 30 pharmacies across Ireland, has spent €5m acquiring pharmacies in Dublin and Cork.

• Underscoring how hot the property market is, the sale of a new development at Hanover Quay in Dublin's Docklands is on course to secure over €100m. The Cairn Homes project comprises 120 apartments priced between €750,000 and €800,000 per unit.

• Wembley Park developer, Quintain, has been appointed to lead the design, planning and development of a €200m town centre for Adamstown, Co. Dublin. The new centre will include the building of 1,000 homes.

• A legal challenge has been taken against a €100m data centre in Dublin which American e-commerce giant Amazon is planning to build. Environmentalist Peter Sweetnam, has appealed, alleging that the environmental impact of the project has not been adequately assessed.

• The deal to provide 900 affordable housing units as part of a 3’500 unit fast-track development in Poolbeg hangs in the balance as the developer enters negotiations on the scheme. Dublin City Council had said that the 900 figure was already agreed, and the affordable units were a condition of the State’s financial assistance.

• Dublin company Blendi Smoothies is planning to export to China as part of expansion plans.

• MSD has submitted planning permission for the construction of its major new biotech plant in Swords. The company’s new biologics facility will be built on the site of its former women’s healthcare product business.

• Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has played down talk of a giveaway budget. Appearing before the Oireachtas Budget Oversight Committee, Minister Donohoe said that loose spending posed the risk of overheating the economy. The government has provisionally allocated an additional €2.6bn in spending, despite previous reports suggesting the fiscal space available to the Finance Minister being €3.2bn.