Hospitality supports, McKillen’s £5m hotel fee, and remote working abroad

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

A boarded up pub in Dublin’s city centre in March. The hospitality sector says it needs more financial support from the State if they are to survive an extended lockdown in the new year.   Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire
A boarded up pub in Dublin’s city centre in March. The hospitality sector says it needs more financial support from the State if they are to survive an extended lockdown in the new year. Photograph: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

As ministers prepare to announce fresh anti-virus restrictions for the hospitality sector, representatives of the industry say they will accept a longer and deeper shutdown to keep infection rates dampened if the Government significantly beefs up taxpayer compensation paid to operators. Mark Paul reports.

The value of mortgage approvals in the Republic hit a record level in November, according to Banking and Payments Federation Ireland (BPFI). Eoin Burke-Kennedy has been through the numbers.

Property developer Paddy McKillen last year received a £5 million (€5.5 million) management fee from companies controlled by the emir of Qatar for the Irishman's oversight of the Maybourne luxury hotel group. Mark Paul has the details.

Is it possible to work abroad with all the potential benefits that can bring or is it just too good to be true? Fiona Reddan has some answers in our weekly personal finance feature.

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In Q&A, a reader complains about having waited five months for Aer Lingus to deal with a voucher request, without a resolution in sight. Dominic Coyle offers his view on the dispute.

Various Covid lockdown restrictions has made this the year of home entertainment, writes Laura Slattery in her weekly column.

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Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock is Business Editor of The Irish Times