RTÉ - The Business

David Walsh first joined us on the show nearly ten years ago, when he was scaling his security enterprise Netwatch in the States. Today, he rejoins Richard to discuss the process of building up his second company Halo Care and the lost of his wife Beatrice Pembroke Walsh. https://www.idonate.ie/forms/BeatricePembrokeWalshFoundation

While Artificial Intelligence continues to replace human workers, Fiona Looney wonders if there are certain jobs that only an Irish person can do that are beyond even AI's capability.

Justin Urquhart Stewart, international financial and investment commentator, joins Richard to discuss concerns over the health of regional banks in the United States, following Donald Trump's suggestion yesterday that heightened tariffs on Chinese imports may not last.

This week, an article in The Telegraph described how industry Chief Executives were shocked when they visited factories almost entirely staffed by robots in China. Managing Director of Kuka Robotics Ireland Brian Cooney joins Richard to discuss China's advances in robotics and whether the West, and indeed Ireland, are keeping up.

As Michael D. Higgins and Sabina prepare to return home as the race to elect the next President of Ireland enters its final week, Dave McArdle reports on whether a house that comes with a job can ever become a real home.

This week, financial institutions such as The Bank of England and JP Morgan warned that AI stock has reached bubble levels. Adrian Weckler, technology editor with the Irish and Sunday Independent, joins Richard to discuss whether AI investments will meet a similar fate to the 1990s dot com boom and bust.

Siofra Mulqueen reports on a younger generation's passion for restoration and the growing popularity of older trades.

Bryan O'Sullivan, a world leading interior designer, joins Richard to chat about his family influences, his path into design, and work-life balance. Originating from Kenmare in County Kerry, O'Sullivan has designed high end residential projects in Paris, The Berkeley and Claridges hotels in London, and even the odd yacht or two.

With the return of the Trump Administration, the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement, also known as ICE, raids are being conducted throughout the country. Lori Flores, author of Awaiting Their Feast: Latinx Food Workers and Activism from World War II to Covid-19, discusses the impact of these raids on food production.

With billons being poured into anti-aging research and Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping recently caught discussing the possibility of living well into their hundreds, writer Paul Howard shares his thoughts on why people are so obsessed with immorality.

Elaine Carey, chief executive of Three Ireland, joins Richard to discuss how she made the leap from answering calls in the call centre to now calling the big shots in the same building, sharing the lessons she learnt along the way.

Sinéad O'Sullivan, defence economist, aerospace engineer and author of Good Ideas and Power Moves: Ten Lessons for Success from Taylor Swift, shares how we can learn from Swift in life and business.

Author of Punishing Putin: Inside the Global Economic War to Bring Down Russia, Stephaine Barker, offers an analysis of the impact of the West's sanctions on Russia since the beginning of the war in Ukraine.

David O'Sullivan, EU Sanctions Envoy, continues the conversation on sanctions and their wider impact, offering insights from Dublin's International Trade- The Challenges Ahead conference at which he gave the keynote address.

Síofra Mulqueen reports on how to succeed in jobs interviews, which may well be useful for the presidental candidates as they prepare for upcoming debates with less than three weeks to go till election.

An excerpt in remembrance of Manchán Magan, who wrote an Ode to Local Shops for us coming out of one of the lockdowns. Magan was a rare storyteller who truly brought Ireland's heart and soul to life and we were deeply saddened to hear of his passing. Manchán Magan, 1970-2025.

Sean Crescenzi and Jamie McCarthy of Hera, Juno, Crudo, and Achara, share their recipe for success in the tough food business industry, having set up four restaurants in the past four years.

As we put the summer salads away, Síofra McQueen reports on the enduring popularity of carvery.

President Donald Trump has signed an Executive Order which clears the way for a deal to proceed between TikTok parent company Byte Dance and the United States. Ciara O'Brien, Irish Times Business and Technology journalist, joins to discuss the impact of U.S. investors gaining access to the highly valuable TikTok algorithm.

Michael Grynbaum of the New York Times discusses the fascinating story of the Condé Nast magazine empire. With household titles such as Vogue, The New Yorker, and Vanity Fair, Grynbaum captures the history of Condé Nast in his recently published book Empire of the Elite: Inside Condé Nast, the Media Dynasty That Reshaped America.

Tensions between Donald Trump and the United Nations escalated when an escalator stopped as Trump and his wife Melania got on it. While Trump described the incident as sabotage, David Nugent of the Honest Escalator Company investigates what really went wrong.

Richard catches up with the foremost member of the Guinness family, Arthur Edward Guinness, who has just published a book on the family. Guinness, A Family Succession: The True Story of the Struggle to Create the World's Largest Brewery.

As Ned Said, the Liberties is really the heart of Dublin, but what is it like doing business there in 2025 in the shadow of the famed Guinness factory? Dave McArdle finds out.

Protests, cancellations of subscriptions, and calls for boycotts of Disneyland due to the company's decision to suspend US talk show host Jimmy Kimmel. The move came after he made some controversial comments about the assassination of Charlie Kirk and President Donald Trump's reaction to it. CNN correspondent Gina London joins to discuss.

It appears that some businesses in the UK are cozying up to Nigel Farage and the Reform Party. Up to now, many businesses have remained wary of associating with them, fearing how it might impact their brand. Mark Paul joins to discuss what's changed.

The UK rolled out the red carpet for President Donald Trump in a bid to boost business. How far will pomp and pageantry go when trying to lure investors? Aidan Fitzmaurice has been watching proceedings.

From the fields of Armagh to the magic of Marvel and the land of Narnia, Seamus McGarvey has carved out a hugely successful career as a world-renowned cinematographer. From music videos for the Pet Shop Boys, U2, and The Rolling Stones to films like Atonement and The Greatest Showman, his work has been nominated for Oscars and BAFTAs.

The watercooler moments of late have been all about The Traitors. We all know that there's a certain amount of treachery in business and workplaces, but can we learn from our favourite film and TV characters? Siofra Mulqueen has been finding out.

The Environmental Protection Agency in the US has moved to stop requiring thousands of polluting factories to report the amount of heat-trapping greenhouse gases that they release into the air, following President Trump's effort to erase mentions of climate change across government websites. Dr. Tara Shine joins the programme.

This week the world was shocked by the assasination of 31 year old conservative influencer Charlie Kirk at a campus event in Utah. The videos of the shooting remain online for everyone to see but can social media be policed in real time? Dr. Jennifer Cassidy, Lecturer in Technology and Diplomacy in Oxford University joins the programme.

Many owners of major social media platforms are multi-billionaires, with Elon Musk's pay package being revealed to be an eye-watering $29 billion. Comedian Anne Gildea asks the question: How much money is too much?

Curtis Duffy is among an elite group of chefs who have been awarded 3 Michelin stars and is now the subject of the Netflix documentary, For Grace. His family background is a world away from that lifestyle, with some harrowing stories from his recently published memoir, Fireproof, of growing up in rural Ohio.

This week, the leaders of the World's biggest tech companies, including Meta, Google and OpenAI, gathered at the White House to support an initiative by Melanie Trump to teach kids about AI. It's clear the US wants to loosen regulations on its tech sector, but how will the EU react to this latest love between Big Tech and Trump?

As September kicks in after a summer that seems like forever ago, if you're feeling like it's hard to get the head down, you're not alone. It's totally natural as Dave McArdle has been finding out.

What you could do is jack in the day job altogether and just join a band like our next guests. They've done just that and haven't looked back. Diarmaid Magee, Tom McHugh and Deane Connaghan of Onóir join the programme.

But if there's no tariff agreement between the EU and US, the fallout could be serious. Higher costs for consumers and businesses, pressure on jobs, and a deepening rift in transatlantic relations. John Fitzgerald, Economist & Adjunct Professor at Trinity College Dublin joins the programme to discuss what's at stake.

Turning the country's flourishing flowers into dazzling floral arrangements takes real skill. Janette O'Rourke and Deirdre Sullivan from Kay's Flower School have built a blossoming business, teaching online floristry classes for those keen to branch into the trade or simply polish their skills.

Aside from last weekend's brief sizzle, intense heat is still a rare visitor here in Ireland. Could our cooler climate be just the ticket for attracting tourists in search of a cool-cation? Dave Macardle has been checking the forecast.

Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin reacted to a couple caught on a kiss cam at the band's concert in a video that has now taken the internet by storm. How should the people involved handle the fallout? Eoghan Tomás McDermott, managing director of the Communications Clinic joins the programme to discuss.

Entrepreneurs Gillian White of children's clothing brand Sully & Juno, and Adam Harris of AsIAm, Ireland's autism charity explore the unique viewpoint that comes with being neurodivergent in the workplace.

If you're a parent, you know that the school holidays seem to stretch on forever, while your time off feels more like a blink. So, you're still working, and the kids' full-time mission is fun, noise, and hijacking your attention with no respect for meetings or deadlines. Journalist Jen Hogan reporting.

Did you ever wonder how the fabulously wealthy spend their holidays? The answer involves private castles, helicopters on standby, lavish surprises and perfectly planned little details. Siobhan Byrne of Adams and Butler runs a luxury travel agency that's rolled out the red carpet for the likes of Taylor Swift and Kim Kardashian.