Davy’s sale move, Flutter’s executive bonuses and the pros and cons of ‘vaccine passes’

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

Embattled stockbroker Davy.
Embattled stockbroker Davy.

Embattled stockbroker Davy formally put itself up for sale on Thursday evening, as its board sought to stabilise the business and address concerns about former senior executives involved in a bond-deal scandal remaining as major shareholders. Joe Brennan reports.

The firm breached market rules in a multimillion-euro deal with credit unions by acting as "principal in the purchase and sale" of a bond, according to the findings of a 2010 review by the Irish Stock Exchange that was never publicly disclosed, writes Arthur Beesley.

Bonuses more than trebled top executives' pay at Paddy Power owner Flutter Entertainment to £11.7 million (€13.7 million) last year. Barry O'Halloran reports on a bumper pay day at the bookmaker.

In his Caveat column, Mark Paul imagines an Ireland in which people are required to flash a "vaccine pass" at the doors of pubs, cinemas and gyms in order to prevent the spread of Covid-19, and asks if the practical benefits outweigh the question of fairness.

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Dublin city councillors have been warned that setting up a spin-off company to deliver social and affordable housing on public land may end up increasing the cost of housing. A motion from Sinn Féin councillor Daithí Doolan proposing such a company will be voted on next month. Eoin Burke-Kennedy reports.

Anti ticket touting legislation backed by Government is unconstitutional as it attacks property rights, reseller Viagogo is arguing as Tánaiste Leo Varadkar promotes a bill that would ban the resale of tickets to gigs, sports or other events for more than their face value. Barry O'Halloran reports.

One of the country's best-known craft beer manufacturers, Carlow Brewing Company, has suffered a setback to its plans to develop a new brewing and visitor facility in south Dublin after An Bord Pleanála rejected an appeal by the company. Seán McCárthaigh reports.

The UK will remain the dominant export destination for Irish businesses despite Brexit and despite the increasing proportion of Irish exports going to the US, former European Investment Bank vice president Andrew McDowell has said. Eoin Burke-Kennedy and Charlie Taylor report.

Liberty Insurance is going fully remote. The insurer has told its more than 400 Irish employees that they can work remotely even after the Covid-19 crisis is over. Charlie Taylor reports.

Working from home? Employers have a duty of care to employees whether they are right of them or not and employees shouldn't feel awkward about bringing up problems from overlong hours to unsuitable chairs. That's the advice in this week's World of Work by Olive Keogh.

In our Wild Geese feature, musician Tommy Byrne of the traditional band Byrne Brothers tells Joanne Hunt about "living the dream" in Florida and how amazing it felt when he and his wife Julie Byrne first got their US green cards.

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Laura Slattery

Laura Slattery

Laura Slattery is an Irish Times journalist writing about media, advertising and other business topics