The National Recruitment Federation urges dithering employers not to miss out on top talent; plus other business news

Michael McAteer, the 50-year-old managing partner of Grant Thornton Ireland, the world’s seventh-largest professional consultancy firm, is here to talk about his firm’s expansion in Cork, but there is little he won’t offer a thoughtful opinion on.

A dispute between members of a family whose firm sells and makes jewellery including the world-famous Claddagh rings has been adjourned for mediation talks.

A survival scheme for a family construction company which has been involved in a number of important infrastructural projects has been approved by the High Court.

The High Court has confirmed the appointment of an examiner to the firm constructing a biomass-fuelled power plant in Co Mayo.

It is understood that the distinctive office block at No 1 South Mall, Cork, has now gone sale agreed with agent, Lisney. This unique building in the heart of Cork’s business district was offered for sale in March of this year on behalf of receiver Michael McAteer of Grant Thornton.

An amended survival scheme for Petroceltic International and two related companies which sees the troubled explorer taken over by Cayman-Islands-based fund Worldview has been approved by the High Court.

A hearing aimed at getting High Court approval for a survival scheme for exploration company Petroceltic has been adjourned after day-long talks over employees concerns about the survival proposals failed to end in agreement.

Senior staff at Petroceltic International are expected to voice concerns about the alleged writing-down of their employment rights, in opposing a survival scheme for the company due to be put before the High Court for approval next week.

More than 130 jobs are at risk following the appointment by the High Court of a provisional liquidator to a Co Tipperary-based pharmaceutical manufacturing company.

The High Court has confirmed examinership for troubled exploration company Petroceltic and two related companies.

Residents of a Cork complex who were expecting to be evicted from their homes have now been told their tenancies will not be terminated this year.

Hundreds of tenants face losing their homes after receivers moved to sell apartments at a residential development in Cork City.

An interim examiner has been appointed by the High Court to exploration company Petroceltic and two related companies.

Worldview, a dissident shareholder in exploration firm Petroceltic, has brought a High Court petition aimed at securing court protection for Petroceltic and the appointment of an examiner.

Commercial opportunities are radiating outward from Cork’s centre.

The bulk of the 583 full- and part-time jobs at the company are likely to be lost, Mr Justice Paul Gilligan heard yesterday.

The Central Bank is to investigate suspected contraventions of insurance regulation by management of the former Quinn Insurance, which entered administration in 2010.

A fully booked hotel for a bumper Galway Race Week is one of the factors contributing to revenues at the five-star Glenlo Abbey Hotel in Galway increasing by 20% this year.

An interim examiner has been appointed by the High Court to Best, the company operating 13 Best Menswear stores across Ireland and two other fashion stores employing 130 people.

Former Irish rugby star Frankie Sheahan and his brother could face bank repossession on a number of properties after a High Court judge yesterday found in favour of the bank parties in a legal dispute over the alleged non-payment of loans.

A proposal for the transfer and sale to Catalina Insurance Ireland Ltd of 1.3m general insurance policies, held mainly by UK-based customers of Quinn Insurance Ltd (QIL) will go before the High Court for approval in June.

A deal has been agreed for the transfer of Quinn Insurance’s portfolio of UK and European legacy liabilities to a subsidiary of Bermuda-based Catalina Holdings.

An aircraft maintenance firm employing 235 workers at Shannon is unable to meet its debts because of the economic difficulties currently being experienced in Russia and by its Russian parent company, the High Court was told yesterday.

An interim examiner has been appointed to an aircraft maintenance company that employs over 200 staff at Shannon airport.

The joint administrators of Quinn Insurance Limited (QIL) want the High Court to approve the transfer of 5,000 health policies to a subsidiary of one of the world’s biggest insurance providers Swiss Re.

Cork developer Michael O’Flynn has upped the ante in his battle to retain control of his building empire by revealing he can immediately repay the €16.7m in personal loans as demanded by the company who took over his Nama loans — and also the remaining €8.2m he owes in personal loans.

The High Court will decide next week if it will dismiss an interim examiner appointed to four main companies in the Cork-based O’Flynn Construction Group.

The contract to operate the Convention Centre Dublin is to be sold, it was announced yesterday.

The company that bought the €1.8bn debts of the O’Flynn Construction Group for just over €1bn has secured the appointment of an interim examiner for four key companies within the group.

A modern Galway suburban hotel has come for sale with a €2m-plus price tag, well under its development cost.

A €100m repayment by the administrators of Quinn Insurance Ltd to the State-backed Insurance Compensation Fund, from which €1.158bn has been drawn down to date to meet claims of policy holders, has been approved by the High Court.

The Supreme Court has cleared the way for implementation of a survival scheme for key companies of construction giant SIAC after dismissing a last-minute challenge by the Polish Roads Authority to the scheme.

A last-minute challenge to court approval for a survival scheme for key companies in construction giant SIAC has placed the companies and the jobs of 219 employees “in peril”, the Supreme Court was told yesterday.

Much higher numbers have been forced to enter bankruptcy because they do not have any excess income above a reasonable standard of living needed to apply for a personal insolvency arrangement, according to a leading insolvency practitioner.

A survival scheme for seven key companies in construction giant SIAC employing about 200 people has been approved by the High Court. The scheme, subject to some final modifications being approved later this week, will become effective from Monday next.

SIAC Holdings Ltd have secured a new investor in a bid to save the company.

SIAC Construction Ltd and eight related companies, including the ultimate parent company in the 100-year-old construction group, have secured court protection to allow for preparation of a survival scheme.

One of Ireland’s oldest and best known building firms has gone into examinership today.

New research has found that many people seeking personal insolvency arrangements aren't earning enough money to qualify.

Former rugby star Frankie Sheahan and his business partner, brother Joseph, have lost their High Court challenge against Bank of Ireland taking possession of a number of their property investments and appointing a receiver over them.

It is expected that two to three hundred candidates will have entered into personal insolvency arrangements (PIA) by October, according to Michael McAteer, a partner at the consultancy firm, Grant Thornton, and a newly registered personal insolvency practitioner (PIP).

Decisions on whether a family can afford to live in their current home or be forced to trade down will be the most controversial part of the personal insolvency legislation.

A High Court judge has approved a complex settlement of an action brought by Nama and others against Treasury Holdings’ co-founders Richard Barrett and John Ronan over a controversial €20m transaction involving the alleged transfer of shares out of the group at a significant undervalue.

The joint administrators of Quinn Insurance Ltd are suing the firm’s former auditors PriceWaterhouseCoopers for around €1bn over alleged negligent auditing of the company’s accounts over several years.

Treasury Holdings’ co-founder Richard Barrett will get €5m cash “with no strings attached” under a proposed settlement of a legal action brought against him and co-founder John Ronan over a controversial €20m transaction, a High Court judge has noted.

Nama has gone to court seeking orders removing the widow of developer Liam Maye as executor of his estate and replacing her with an administrator chosen by it or the court.

The administrators of Quinn Insurance are taking steps aimed at securing an urgent hearing of their action against the group’s former auditors, Pricewaterhouse Cooper, the former auditors of the failed company.