ASADOR FOUNDER PLANS NEW RESTAURANT ON DAWSON STREET - A company backed by restaurateur Shane Mitchell and Jobbio entrepreneur John Quinn is looking to open a new restaurant on Dublin's Dawson Street as part of a wider renovation of formerly dilapidated buildings.
Beechlawn Investments Europe Ltd has applied to Dublin City Council to change number 20 Dawson Street, previously an office for property agent Savills, to a licensed restaurant. Success of the application would add to Mr Mitchell's existing restaurant interests of Asador in Ballsbridge and Prado in Clontarf. The application for the Dawson Street project comes against a challenging backdrop for restaurants in the city centre, says the Irish Times. The popular restaurant Amuse, located nearby on the same street, ceased trading on December 24th. Alongside Mr Quinn and Mr Mitchell, who between them control more than 38% of Beechlawn, the company is linked to developer Shane Whelan whose Westridge Real Estate business separately completed its purchase of DIT's former Kevin Street campus for €140 million in September last year. Beechlawn's application submitted earlier this week relates solely to 20 Dawson Stret, located adjacent to the two-Mitchelin-star restaurant The Greenhouse.
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HONG KONG PROTESTS YET TO HIT IRISH FIRMS - CHINA AMBASSADOR - The current protests in Hong Kong have not affected Irish firms doing business there, according to Eoin O'Leary, the Irish ambassador to China.
Protests in Hong Kong against plans to allow extradition to mainland China started in June last year and are continuing, writes the Irish Independent. "The only risk is if the Hong Kong economy decreases, then there will obviously be a decrease in purchases from Hong Kong," Mr O'Leary said. "But I don't think the protests have an effect on our trade; We have heard no indication from Irish businesses that they have pulled back in Hong Kong or China," he said. He was speaking as the Government launched its strategy for the Asia Pacific region, 'Global Ireland: Delivering in the Asia Pacific Region to 2025'. With increasing scrutiny on the Chinese giant Huawei - which is the world's biggest maker of telecom network equipment and the number-two manufacturer of smartphones - Mr O'Leary said he had "no real interaction with the Chinese government and Huawei". "Huawei is the subject of a review at European Union and national level, but it is more a question for the Department of Communications," he said. The Chinese market presents a "big opportunity" for Ireland in terms of trade, Mr O'Leary said.
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STUD FARMS SAY THEY COULD RELOCATE IF QUARRY IS GRANTED PERMISSION - The future of several major stud farms in Co Kildare is under threat from the proposed development of a quarry near Kilcullen, according to leading figures in the horse racing industry.
Former jockey Ruby Walsh and racehorse owner the Aga Khan are among over 200 locals who have become involved in a planning row over plans by Kilsaran Concrete to develop a new quarry near their stables. A representative of the Aga Khan warned that he might have to consider moving horses used for breeding to stud farms in France if Kilsaran was allowed to proceed with its plans to extract 3 million tonnes of sand and gravel over a 12-year period from a 32-hectare site at Racefield which is located around 10km outside Kilcullen, Co Kildare, says the Irish Examiner. The company, a leading manufacturer of concrete products based in Dunboyne, Co Meath, has submitted an appeal to An Bord Pleanála against the recent decision of Kildare County Council to refuse planning permission for the development. Mr Walsh, a former champion jockey and the Aga Khan as well as the Irish Thoroughbred Breeders Association were among over 220 parties including two TDs and 12 councillors, who made submissions to the council opposing Kilsaran's plans. Kildare County Council refused planning permission for the project on the basis that the local road network was inadequate to cope with increased traffic plans generated by the development.
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UK PENSION PROTECTION FUND RESCUES CARILLION RAILWAY WORKERS - 4,000 former railway maintenance workers with the collapsed Carillion construction group will have their pension promises largely met after their scheme was officially admitted into the UK Pension Protection Fund, the industry lifeboat.
The transfer of Carillion Rail Pension Scheme, part of the gigantic Railways Pension Scheme (RPS), into the protection fund comes amid growing concern about shortfalls in the RPS, says The Times. One expert said this now amounted to £11 billion, far in excess of the official actuarial deficit. Members of the Carillion scheme will receive 100% of their promised pension if they were already retired when Carillion went bust in January 2018, or 90% of it otherwise, subject to the £40,020-a-year cap.
