John Cunningham FCCA, finance director of the Manchester Metropolitan University (MME), remembers clearly why he chose to be a finance professional in higher education. “I wanted to work in an environment which promoted the positive, social, economic and transformational impacts that education provides,” he says. That motivation remains true today, though the changes to the […]
NAMA will report a net profit of more than €1bn for 2015, on the back of non-performing debts it acquired on behalf of Irish taxpayers. By the end of 2011, NAMA had bought loan portfolios with a nominal value of €74bn for a cost of €31.8bn – a discount of 57% – and it is
Charities come big and small – but the sector is huge. In 2012/13, total UK voluntary sector income was £40.5bn and expenditure £39.3bn. In that year (the most recent for which figures are available), 46% of total income – £18.8bn – came from individuals, through donations and sales of products and services. Other income sources
It would be an exaggeration to talk of a revolution taking place in Britain’s boardrooms – but a fast change of direction is happening, which many in Ireland would like to replicate. Five years ago Lord Davies recommended that FTSE 100 boards should aim for a minimum of 25% female representation by 2015. A
The 2015/16 financial year will go down in the record books. Despite the reputation of Margaret Thatcher’s government as privatisers, the truth is that “the sale of government assets this year will deliver the largest privatisation proceeds of all time, higher than the previous record in 1987″, explained George Osborne in last year’s Budget.
Arlene Foster seems calm and confident as she takes over as First Minister of Northern Ireland. “I am relaxed about it: I am looking forward to it very much,” she says. “I know that it is a huge challenge, particularly in an election year, but in many ways that excites me because it means that
Ireland’s economy is out-growing the rest of the eurozone, but costs are rising. What are Ireland’s prospects? Ireland’s economy is racing ahead – and is the fastest growing in the eurozone. This places Enda Kenny’s Fine Gael party in a strong position for the forthcoming election. But will growing cost pressures undermine the country’s
The Goldilocks question: Is Ireland’s economy too hot, too cold or just right? Read More »
The so-called ‘bonfire of the quangos’ was a bit of a misnomer. While the government abolished 285 quangos – correctly termed non-departmental public bodies – it created 173 new public bodies. Of these, 66 were registered as companies. There are several advantages for the Government in operating some functions through companies. Breaking-up a large department
Belfast has become an international hub for professional services. More than 2,000 new jobs in the accountancy and legal sectors have been announced in the last two years. Deloitte, EY and PwC all now have major bases in Northern Ireland’s first city, servicing clients across the world. “There are two reasons why I was able
The introduction of tuition fees in 1998 – and their subsequent large rise – has had a major impact on the way universities are run. They have become more like businesses in outlook and are learning to see students as customers. “We have moved from an environment of largely entitlement funding to one in which
Public sector snapshot Academy schools The creation of academy schools – independent of local government control – was a flagship policy of Tony Blair’s administration. But the policy has been taken over by David Cameron’s governments and its application expanded substantially. There have been 200 times’ more academy schools formed since David Cameron became prime
The accountancy market in Ireland is set for a significant consolidation, part of an international trend of mergers and acquisitions. Across the globe, smaller firms of accountants – and consultants – are being bought-up by larger competitors, thereby reducing the number of firms in each country. In Ireland, the proposed acquisition by Grant Thornton of