Breakfast Business with Joe Lynam Newstalk

Joe was joined by Dara Calleary, Minister of State for Trade Promotion, Digital, and Company Regulation, to talk about the efforts to steer Irish SMEs towards full digitalisation. Despite the digital sector's prominence in Ireland’s economy, many firms still operate with analogue methods. Dara discussed the new government website, growdigital.GOV.ie, designed to assess and assist companies in their digital transformation journey.

Joe was joined by Newstalk's Tech Correspondent Jess Kelly to discuss the recent news that Google’s parent company, Alphabet, has decided to retain cookies after previously announcing plans to eliminate them. Jess explained what a cookie is, how it follows users around the internet, and what this decision means for both users and advertisers.

Joe Lynam takes a look at the main business stories this morning, with Michael O'Sullivan, co-founder of Unio Wealth Management and author of 'The Levelling'

Joe Lynam takes a look at the main business stories this morning.

Joe was joined by Owen Reidy, Secretary General of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions, to discuss the recent resolution of the Aer Lingus industrial dispute and its implications for industrial relations in Ireland. Despite the inflation shock from 2022, Ireland has enjoyed a prolonged period of growth in a strike-free environment. However, employers are now facing excessive new charges and costs, raising questions about the future of industrial peace.

Joe was joined by Zoë Bradley, Head of Marketing and Corporate Affairs at Toyota, to discuss the current trends and challenges facing electric vehicle (EV) sales. While the shift towards EVs is inevitable in the long run, recent sales have declined due to concerns about recharging infrastructure, especially for long journeys. Despite these challenges, younger drivers remain optimistic about EVs, as shown by a recent Toyota survey. With the ban on traditional engines looming in 11 years, the conversation explored what needs to be done to support the transition to electric vehicles.