Down To Business

We know the government is planning a package of €9.4 billion for Budget 2026 – including €7.9 billion in additional public spending and €1.5 billion in the tax package, but is that a good idea? In the past few weeks, both IFAC - which advises the Government on fiscal matters - and the ESRI have advised the Government of the dangers of overheating the economy at a time of economic uncertainty. Joining Bobby to run through it all is economist, Dan O'Brien.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Stephen Dowling, President International at Fanatics.

Paul McGee's international bestselling personal development heavyweight S.U.M.O (Shut Up, Move On)has helped hundreds of thousands of people around the world fulfil their potential. Paul has just come out with a new edition of the book to mark 20 years of S.U.M.O - he joins Bobby to discuss,

Three tour guides who spend their days turning our history, myths, and the odd pub story into adventures for us Irish people and international tourists alike join Bobby for this week's Industry Review.Tommy Graham, Editor of History Ireland Magazine & Historical Walking Tours of DublinTrudy Carmody, Private Tour Guide and GenealogistColette Farrelly, National Tour Guide & Director of ATGI

'Roll It All Butter Pastry' is a family-run business specialising in ready-to-use pastry that has been going for more than 12 years. Joining Bobby to chat about the business is its owner, Mairead Finnegan.

Joining Bobby to go through the main business stories from the Saturday papers is Joan Mulvihill, Digitization Expert, and Ciaran Hancock, Business Editor of the Irish Times.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Conor Sheridan, founder & CEO of Nory.

Bobby was out & about at the 2025 National Ploughing Championships in Screggan, County Offaly, to get a sense of the state of the farming sector in Ireland and what the future holds.

Irish taste buds have come a long way over the years - from Peking Duck to Tonkatsu Ramen, and Nepali Momo Dumplings to Kimchi Fried Rice.But what's it really like running a business in Asian food today? Joining Bobby are three people who know it best:Eva Pau, Commercial Director of the Asia MarketLina Gautam of Monty's of KathmanduKevin Hui, Managing Director of China Sichuan

In the week where Jerry Greenfield of Ben & Jerry's announced his departure from the company after almost 50 years following an increasingly acrimonious dispute with Unilever, Enda Kelly, Managing Director & Head of Strategy at Folk VML, joins Bobby to discuss if customers actually care about a company's stance or if it's all about price.

Joining Bobby to go through the business pages from the Saturday papers is Robert Whelan, Managing Director of Rockwell Financial & broadcaster and businesswoman, Norah Casey.

Bobby is joined by Isobel Rimmer, founder and Director of Masterclass and author of 'Present with Presence: Everything you need to plan, prepare, and deliver with impact in any situation'

Following a hugely enjoyable broadcast from Monart Destination Spa in Wexford, with thanks to Eirgrid, Bobby ended the show with a chat and a song with Gavin Glass.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair is Rory O'Connor, Founder & CEO of Scurri.

Every year, in the last two weeks of October, Wexford becomes the centre of the musical world as the Wexford Festival Opera takes centre stage in the city. Loughlin Deegan, Wexford Festival Opera's Interim Director, joins Bobby to discuss.

Bobby is joined by Diarmaid Gillespie, Director of System Operations at EirGrid, to talk about the future of Ireland's energy infrastructure.

In a digital age where visibility and efficiency can make or break a business, the right mix of personal branding and smart tools is more important than ever. Joining Bobby to chat about this and how they help businesses make the most of their online presence is Samantha Kelly of Samantha Kelly Media & Deborah Jordan, founder of Chuzeday and advocate for the solo business owners

Bobby was out & about with the CEO of the Griffin Group, Michael Griffin, at Monart Solar Farm to find out about this green initiative and what future plans the hotel group has regarding their push for sustainability.

Bobby is joined by one of Ireland's most successful authors, Eoin Colfer of the Artemis Fowl series, to talk writing, his love of Wexford, and more.

The Down to Business team was broadcasting from Monart Destination Spa in Wexford, with thanks to Eirgrid. Joining Bobby to go through the main business stories from the Saturday papers is Alan Corcoran, News Editor and Presenter at South East Radio, and Cillian Bolger, journalist from the Wexford People.

From steel sheds to jams & sauces, to gelato, Wexford has no shortage of great business stories. For this week's Industry Review, Bobby is joined by five people who know that better than most:Paul Nolan, Owner of Adman Steel ShedsAnthony O'Toole, founder of Fat TomatoWillie Devereux, co-founder of Scúp GelatoTom and Laura Sinnott of Wexford Home Preserves

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is Luke Mackey, Co-founder & CEO of Kota.

Bobby is joined by Lord Mark Price whose latest book is titled 'Work Happier: How to be Happy and Successful at Work'

For this week's Industry Review, we're uncorking the business of wine in Ireland. From independent retailers to the expert palate, we'll explore how trends, taste, and commerce shape what ends up in your glass. Joining Bobby is:Michelle Lawlor, The Nude Wine CoTom Doorley, Food and wine writer & consultantJames O'Hara, Premium Wines Limited

Bobbby takes a trip out to Hidden Hearing on the Merrion Road in Dublin to get an assessment and chat with Enda Dooley, audiologist with Hidden Hearing about the work that they do there.

In the UK, with government debt rising and gilt yields under pressure, some commentators have even raised the spectre of an IMF bailout but how realistic are those fears, and what do they tell us about the state of the UK economy right now? David Smith, Economics Editor with the Sunday Times took a call from Bobby to assess the health of the UK economy and discuss whether the idea of the IMF having to step in is far fetched.

Joining Bobby to go through the business pages in the morning papers is Caroline Reidy of the HR Suite and Jon Ihle Deputy Business Editor at the Sunday Times Ireland.

Valio is Finland's biggest food exporter, which brands itself as “the most innovative dairy and food company in the world”. Valio's chief innovation officer, Kevin Deegan, joins Bobby to chat about the business and why the death of dairy has been overstated.

Joining Bobby in this week's Executive Chair is Mark Kennelly, CEO of Golf Ireland.

The world of work is changing fast, and few people see that more clearly than those working in HR.For this week's Industry Review, Bobby chats with three HR professionals to hear how the sector is doing, the challenges they're facing, and what they think is coming next for the workplace.Joining Bobby is● Damien McCarthy, Managing Director of HR Buddy ● Crystel Robbins Rynne, CEO of HR Locker● Alison Hodgson, CIPD Market Country Director

‘NestiFi' is an AI-powered platform that helps families co-invest for children. The idea is to modernise pocket money by allowing parents, grandparents, and relatives to pool contributions into a child's future nest egg, blending traditional index funds with blockchain, while also teaching kids about financial literacy in a simple, engaging way. Niall Dennehy, CEO and Founder of 'NestiFi', joins Bobby to discuss.

Bobby took a trip out to Finglas in north Dublin to chat to the owner of Olivier's Bread, who operates a bread vending machine outside their premises.

Joining Abobby to run through the main stories from the business pages is Louisa Meehan of Woodview HRM and Stephen O'Leary, Founder and CEO of Olytico.

Joining Bobby in the Executive Chair this week is Chris Lauder, Founder of The Dublin Academy of Education & CEO of the recently formed Axis Education Group.

As a manager, or even as a worker, how well do you know the personalities of those around you? Have you thought that knowing this might be good for your business? Lewis Senior is the co-author of a new book, Personalities Remixed, that helps you do just that. He joins Bobby to discuss.

Joining Bobby to chat about the state of the play when it comes to car sales in 2025 is: - Rowena Dooley, Dealer Principal at Dooley Motors Carlow - Brian Cooke, SIMI Director General (Society of the Irish Motor Industry) - Vincent Doyle, car salesman and bass player with ‘Cry Before Dawn'.

Joining Bobby to chat about the utility of the one-pager and how they can attract and increase the level of investment into a company is Margaret E. Ward, CEO of Clear Eye Leadership Consultants.

Derek Walker, Future Generations Commissioner for Wales, joins Bobby to chat about his role and discuss whether this is something we need here in Ireland.

Joining Bobby to run through the main stories from the business pages on Saturday was Doug Keatinge of Avolon & Linda Daly, Business Reporter with the Sunday Times.

This week on Executive Chair Bobby is joined by Karl Deeter who is the founder of Online Application to discuss his life and career.

What makes an idea turn itself into a business that is profitable in both the short and long terms? That's the challenge Eddie Hartman interrogates in his new book. Bobby caught with Eddie on all things about his book; Scaling Innovation: How Smart Companies Architect Profitable Growth.

Whether you're looking to invest in stocks and crypto, or if you're simply trying to save money to put down for a mortgage – a financial advisor might be just the kind of sensei you need to help guide exactly what to do with your money.So, for our Industry Review this week, we're talking money and Bobby was joined by three of Ireland's best financial advisors who'll share all the secrets of a financial guru and where the business is going. He spoke to Jonathan McDonnell, MD Castle Capital in Limerick, Robert Whelan, Managing Director at Rockwell Financial and Margaret Barrett, Managing Director at Mortgage Navigators.