Tracker mortgages, mixed retail data, and Finch’s €20m Irish fintech plan

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

Irish retail sales were up but footfall was down in the final quarter of last year, according to data from Retail Ireland. Photograph: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth
Irish retail sales were up but footfall was down in the final quarter of last year, according to data from Retail Ireland. Photograph: AP Photo/Kirsty Wigglesworth

The number of mortgage customers impacted by the tracker mortgage scandal has roughly doubled since late 2017 at three of the banks that exited the Irish market post the crash. Joe Brennan goes through the numbers from Bank of Scotland Ireland, Danske and ACC Bank.

The value of Irish retail sales rose by 2.7 per cent in the final quarter of last year but this masked a decline in footfall, according to industry group Retail Ireland. Eoin Burke-Kennedy reports.

Finch Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm with offices in Amsterdam, London and Singapore, has confirmed plans to invest up to €20 million in Irish fintech companies. Charlie Taylor has the details.

If you're a local you might not think this but Dublin is one of 10 most "liveable cities" according to a survey of expats by ECA International. Fiona Reddan reports.

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State companiesCoillte and the ESB are in talks that might spark a €1 billion investment in wind farms, which could generate enough electricity to power more than 500,000 homes. Barry O'Halloran reports.

In her weekly media and marketing column, Laura Slattery takes a raw look behind the scenes at Sky News.

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Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock

Ciarán Hancock is Business Editor of The Irish Times