Digicel’s US court date, Bristol Myers and tax, and get ready for the four-day week

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

Denis O’Brien’s Digicel telecoms group is set for a jury trial in April in the US in a case it has taken against a rival for allegedly defrauding it out of millions of dollars on international calls. Photograph: Ken Cedeno/Digital/Corbis via Getty Images
Denis O’Brien’s Digicel telecoms group is set for a jury trial in April in the US in a case it has taken against a rival for allegedly defrauding it out of millions of dollars on international calls. Photograph: Ken Cedeno/Digital/Corbis via Getty Images

Denis O'Brien's Digicel telecoms group is set for a 10-day jury trial in April in the US in a case it has taken against a rival for allegedly defrauding it out of millions of dollars on international calls. Mark Paul reports.

Mark also details how pharmaceuticals giant Bristol Myers Squibb has been given until Friday by the chairman of the US Senate's powerful Committee on Finance to respond a series of questions over its alleged use of Ireland as a conduit to avoid up to $1.4 billion (€1.2 billion) in US taxes.

In her weekly column, Pilita Clark of the Financial Times says business leaders should get ready for the four-day week.

The ending of almost all pandemic restrictions in Ireland will spur a "rapid rebound" in spending and investment that will be evident in growth in domestic demand of about 5.8 per cent this year, according to a new report from Goodbody stockbrokers. Mark Paul has the details.

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In the first of our Q&As this week, a reader wonders what's became of the Government's plan to introduce a pension auto-enrolment scheme. Dominic Coyle has the answer.

The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland is investing €22 million to build a new education and research centre at Connolly Memorial Hospital in Blanchardstown, with a contract due to be signed today with Northern Ireland building company Felix O'Hare, writes Mark Paul.

With consumer prices rising across the board, the inflation blame game is about to begin, writes our columnist Eoin Burke-Kennedy.

In our Opinion piece, Davy chief economist Conall MacCoille says its time for a major reality check on the State's capacity to build new homes.

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Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock is Business Editor of The Irish Times