Photograph: Conor McCabeThere is a lot of hand-wringing about the Irish economy these days, be it infrastructure, housing or a perceived over-reliance on giant firms from overseas who could pull the plug whenever it suits them. John and Patrick Collison, whose payments firm Stripe is now valued at about $159 billion (€135 billion), have become more vocal about what they think the Irish economy needs. The research paper they commissioned from University of Galway’s Alan Ahearne, published on Thursday, is credible and urgent. That means tax incentives to attract more overseas workers here and boosting “entrepreneurial activity”. That would get more start-ups here and hopefully build big Irish companies as well as attracting the US giants of the day.

Source: The Irish Times March 19, 2026 15:00 UTC