With little money available and the Brexit cloud continuing to swirl, Finance Minister Paschal Donohoe has announced a modest budget aiming to protect the economy. There were some positive announcements for business as well as some missed opportunities.

Personal values are everything in business, Ciara Crossan, founder and CEO of WeddingDates, told this week’s Women In Business Network (WIBN) lunch, hosted by PwC Cork.

Businesses in Cork are unanimously confident about the future despite external threats such as Brexit, according to a survey, with more than three-quarters of firms planning to hire in the next year.

Bodybuilders, bakers and herbal tea enthusiasts have all found themselves hit with Vat as the Revenue Commissioners have clamped down on tax exempt foods since 2011.

The Finance Bill aims to balance the books and create jobs with limited resources, writes Eugene O’Riordan