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Some people are doing quietly amazing things to make our island a better place. Heated tells their stories. On ep 3 social enterprise We Make Good and electric off-road vehicles.

LC Business Links

L&S 2 Innovation and Enterprise

L& S 4 Business Ownership

L & S 6 Making Informed Decisions As A Consumer

Consumer Responsibilities

L & S 10 The Sustainable Workplace

L & S 23 National Policy

L & S 24 The European Union

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Digital Transformation  & Entrepreurial Thinking

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1.Apple to hold autumn event on September 9, new iPhones expected

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1.Apple to hold autumn event on September 9, new iPhones expected

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Links to LC Business

L & S 2 Innovation & Enterprise

L & S 3 Idea Development

3.2 Design Thinking

3.3 Feasibility Study

L & S 21 The Target Market

L & S 22 Growth , Development & Expansion

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Question: Do you think Apple’s delay in embracing AI will have long-term consequences, or can its brand loyalty help it catch up quickly? Explain.

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Apple will host its annual autumn event on September 9, according to an invite, where the company is expected to unveil new iPhones, watches and other devices.

The event will be held at the Steve Jobs Theater at Apple's headquarters in Cupertino, California and serve as a showcase of the company's efforts to integrate artificial intelligence into its devices.

It will be closely watched by investors worried about the company ceding ground to faster-moving rivals in the race to deploy AI technology.

Media reports have said Apple will also unveil a slimmer version of its latest iPhone, possibly branded as the iPhone Air, echoing its iPad Air and MacBook Air lines.

The company is also expected to showcase new entry-level, high-end Apple Watches, upgraded iPad Pros and a faster version of the Vision Pro headset, Bloomberg News has reported recently.

Under pressure from the Trump administration, Apple has boosted its already hefty investment in the US to $600 billion over the next four years, creating jobs and shifting some work there in the hopes of sidestepping potential import duties.

Apple faces pressure from tariffs imposed on US imports from countries including its production hubs, China and India.

In June, Apple announced several AI and software features, along with an overhaul of its operating system - redesigning its icons and menu to resemble what it calls "liquid glass".

However, Apple's delay in embracing the AI market has left it trailing Big Tech stalwarts. Smartphone maker Samsung and Chinese firms Honor and Huawei have taken advantage of the gap Apple left in the industry, luring customers with their own AI offerings.
Reporting by Reuters

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Apple to hold autumn event on September 9

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Apple will host its annual autumn event on September 9, according to an invite, where the company is expected to unveil new iPhones, watches and other devices.

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1. Grocery inflation still rising , hitting 5.86% in August

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1. Grocery inflation still rising , hitting 5.86% in August

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Link to LC Business

L & S 6.3 Impact of Digital Developments on Consumer Behaviour

L & S 12 Ireland's Economic Landscape

L & S 21.3 The Marketing Mix

L & S 22.1 The Importance of Identifying Competition in the Market

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Grocery inflation still rising, hitting 5.86% in August

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New figures from Worldpanel by Numerator show that grocery inflation continued to rise in August, increasing from 5.43% to 5.86% now.

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1. Agreement strengthens oversight of influencer advertising

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1. Agreement strengthens oversight of influencer advertising

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Link to LC Business

L & S 5 Regulation, Governance and ESG

L& S Making Informed Decisioms As A Consumer

L & S 11 The Impact of Digital Technology in the Workplacr

L & S 21.4 The Influence of Digital Technology, Ethics and Sustainability on Marketing

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Agreement strengthens oversight of influencer advertising

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The Advertising Standards Authority can now share with the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission the details of influencers who are not complying with advertising rules.

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1.Bank of Ireland trebles Green Business Loan limit to €1m

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1.Bank of Ireland trebles Green Business Loan limit to €1m

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Links to LC Business:

L& S 5.2 ESG Reporting

L & S 10.1 The Sustainable Workplace

L & S 20 Operations & Finance

L & S 24 The European Union

The European Green Deal

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Bank of Ireland trebles Green Business Loan limit to €1m

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Bank of Ireland has increased its Green Business Loan limit from €300,000 to €1m, supporting businesses or farmers looking for finance to reduce their costs and carbon footprint.

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2. All you need to know about pension auto-enrolment in Ireland

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2. All you need to know about pension auto-enrolment in Ireland

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Links to LC Business

L & S 7 Making Informed Financial Decisions

L & S 14 Industrial Relations

L & S 20 Operations & Finance

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How does the auto-enrolment pension scheme encourage individuals to take responsibility for their future financial security?

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Analysis: By Bhavya Shrivastava, TCD As Ireland prepares for pension auto-enrolment - who will it help most and who might it leave behind?
We have all heard whispers of a new financial device arriving soon. Like any big change, Ireland's move to auto-enrolment will likely spark debate. Before it lands in our pay slips and pub conversations, let's break down what My Future Fund is, why it matters, and who stands to gain or struggle in the short term, from the shift.

What is My Future Fund?

From 1 January 2026, most employees without a private pension will be automatically signed up to My Future Fund. In plain terms, this is a retirement savings pot linked to your payroll. Each month, workers will contribute a percentage of their salary, which will be matched by their employer and topped up by the State.

For every €3 the worker contributes, the employer adds €3 and the State chips in €1. Crucially, this is in addition to the State pension - not a replacement. The goal is to ensure fewer people reach retirement relying solely on the State pension.
From RTÉ Radio 1's News At One, University of Galway's Dr Maureen Maloney on the report that says pension auto-enrolment scheme will not address structural inequalities faced by women
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Who will be enrolled?

If you are aged 23-60, earning €20,000+ per year (across one or more jobs) and not already in a pension scheme through payroll, then you'll be auto-enrolled.

Employees must stay in for at least six months, but can opt out in the following months. If they do, their contributions are refunded, but employer and State top-ups stay in the fund. Two years later, they'll be automatically re-enrolled if still eligible.

Why auto-enrolment, and why now?
From the Department of Social Protection, Auto-enrolment: Helping workers save for the future
Currently, about two-thirds of retirees in Ireland have no supplementary pension and rely only on the State pension. Ireland has also been the last OECD country without auto-enrolment. With a shrinking working-age population that is expected to support a growing retired cohort, policymakers and perhaps politicians see this as a catch-up and a necessary long-term fix.

How does it affect us?

The most visible short-term effect is less take-home pay. Our monthly disposable income will decrease slightly because part of it now diverts into retirement savings. Economists call this the classic "consume now versus save later" trade-off.

But behavioural economics explains why this design works. Most of us have status quo bias - we stick with the default. By making "saving" the default and "opting out" the effortful choice, the State is nudging us towards future security.

Who might struggle?

Not everyone will welcome the deduction. For workers already stretched by high housing costs, childcare, transport or debt, the drop in take-home pay will feel like a burden. People with volatile incomes - casual or seasonal workers - may also experience the contribution as a pay cut, even with matching and top-ups.
Parents on unpaid leave may face another wrinkle. With paused contributions, there will likely be a loss of momentum in saving. And because the scheme excludes the self-employed and unpaid carers, those groups may remain outside the safety net for the near future.

Lessons to be learned

In our field research with female micro-entrepreneurs in India, we studied voluntary commitment savings products. Take-up was strongest among women who were less present-biased - those more willing to sacrifice today's income for tomorrow's return. Yet, overall participation stayed limited. Why? Because the product still felt like a pay cut in the short term. Unless people saw other parts of their financial life improving, many chose to step away.

Applied to Ireland, this suggests two groups will emerge. First, those most likely to stay enrolled: workers with stable incomes, lower present bias, and the "set-and-forget" mindset who value the employer match and State top-up. Second, those more likely to opt out: workers who are cash-strapped, juggling volatile hours, or for whom the deduction feels like steep a pay cut. Mothers returning from unpaid leave may also fall behind unless catch-up contributions are made simple and attractive. This prediction echoes trends in the UK, where opt-out rates from auto-enrolment schemes have risen over time. This rise in opt-out has occurred between 2020-2022, particularly during the pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, as financially stretched households prioritised immediate spending over long-term saving.

What could make it easier?

To broaden support and fairness, policymakers could adopt the following -

1. Neutralise the pay-cut feeling - Pair enrolment with modest pay rises or a once-off start bonus. This reduces loss aversion - our tendency to feel losses more deeply than gains.

2. Protect parents on leave. Introduce catch-up contributions for those returning from maternity or other unpaid leave, with matching and State top-ups intact. This would help avoid widening gender pension gaps.

3. Add flexibility. Allow short pauses (with automatic restart) or saving cessations without opting out for workers facing volatile incomes, so they don't drop out completely.

Will it work in Ireland?
Bhavya Shrivastava is a PhD candidate in Economics at Trinity College Dublin The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
Short answer - yes - but unevenly. The Irish design is solid, with a State top-up that's more visible than tax relief systems elsewhere. That should boost take-up, especially among low-to-middle earners.
But defaults aren't magic. Without cushioning the immediate hit to net pay and addressing life events like unpaid leave, the very groups most in need of pension security may be the ones opting out at month seven.

Auto-enrolment is a welcome reform. It shifts Ireland closer to international best practice and helps future-proof retirement security. But it will not land equally for everyone. The default does much of the work, but policy and pay packets need to meet it halfway.

Follow RTÉ Brainstorm on WhatsApp and Instagram for more stories and updates

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All you need to know about pension auto-enrolment in Ireland

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As Ireland prepares for pension auto-enrolment - who will it help most and who might it leave behind?

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2. Irish agritech start-ups to watch in 2026

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2. Irish agritech start-ups to watch in 2026

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Links to LC Business

L & S 2 Innovation and Enterprise

L & S 3 Idea Development

L & S 10 The Sustainable Workplace

L & S 21 The Target Market

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Pick two start-ups from the list and describe the innovative technologies or solutions they are using. How do these innovations address challenges in agriculture or sustainability?

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Irish agritech start-ups to watch in 2026 | ThinkBusiness

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Discover 20 Irish agritech start-ups revolutionising farming with AI, robotics, and sustainability. Explore the future of agriculture in Ireland.

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2. Plan by banks to launch in-app instant payment service

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2. Plan by banks to launch in-app instant payment service

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Link to LC Business

L & S 2 Innovation & Enterprise

L & S 3 Idea Development

L & S 6 Making an Informed Decisions As a Consumer

6.3: Impact of Digital Developments on Consumer Behaviour

L & S 7 Making Informed Financial Decisions

L & S 21 The Target Market

L & S 22 Growth, Development and Expansion

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What challenges might banks face when introducing new digital payment services like Zippay?

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Plan by banks to launch in-app instant payment service

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AIB, Bank of Ireland, and PTSB have announced joint plans to launch a person-to-person mobile-payment service to rival fintech banks such as Revolut and N26.

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3.Merck opens €150m climate-neutral manufacturing facility in Cork

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3.Merck opens €150m climate-neutral manufacturing facility in Cork

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Merck opens €150m climate-neutral facility in Cork

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Science and technology company Merck has officially opened its new €150m filtration manufacturing facility at Blarney Business Park in Co Cork.

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3. Tipperary agritech company Herdwatch wins Enterprise Ireland's Innovation Arena Award

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3. Tipperary agritech company Herdwatch wins Enterprise Ireland's Innovation Arena Award

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AI farm management tool wins Innovation Award

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An agritech company from Tipperary has won the top prize at the Enterprise Ireland Innovation Awards at the National Ploughing Championships

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3. Common mistakes which make your passwords vulnerable to hackers

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3. Common mistakes which make your passwords vulnerable to hackers

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Common mistakes which make your passwords vulnerable to hackers

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Brian Honan, Cyber Security Consultant with BH Consulting

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3. Here's how financial literacy affects the money in your pocket

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3. Here's how financial literacy affects the money in your pocket

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Here’s how financial literacy affects the money in your pocket

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An inability to process financial information leaves us open to poor money decisions, increased debt and onerous financial commitments