The Government’s medium-term projections for the public finances are “not credible”, the State’s fiscal watchdog has said in its latest assessment of the economy. The Irish Fiscal Advisory Council (IFAC) said the projections – laid out in the Stability Programme Update 2019 – show exchequer surpluses increasing each year based on expenditure forecasts that were not probable. Chairman Prof Richard Conroy lays out his case to Barry O’Halloran. The company’s market capitalisation up to about $11.2 billion (€9.9 billion) – putting it above the likes of Macy’s, Xerox, Harley-Davidson and TripAdvisor. Finally, in her media column Laura Slattery ponders the podcast boom, further stoked by Spotify’s signing of the Obamas.

Source: The Irish Times June 11, 2019 05:26 UTC