Editor’s Note
Business Plus has been published for 24 years, and last December ownership of the title transferred to DMG Media Ireland, the company behind the Irish Daily Mail and numerous websites. As print titles come under increased pressure in the marketplace, DMG Media has been ramping up its online efforts. One rationale for the Business Plus deal was to use DMG Media’s know-how and resources to extend the appeal of the Business Plus website. That plan is in motion, and enterprise minister Leo Varadkar graced the DMG Media office in Dublin recently to wish the venture all the very best.
Newspaper and magazine production has changed profoundly in recent years. Writing the content and page production is mostly effected remotely. On his visit, the Tánaiste expressed his surprise at the modern look of the DMG workspace. His benchmark was the offices of the tech giants he visited in California on a trade mission in April. Though he’s a digital native, Varadkar conceded that he peruses newspapers on Sundays, and magazines on flights.
The Tánaiste’s presence attracted a good turnout of advertisers who have supported the magazine for many years. The Fine Gael leader is good at mingling, and pressed the flesh and posed for photos. More than most people, politicians are on the receiving end of media brickbats, and Varadkar is no exception. Though not renowned as a vocal media champion, in his address to the throng the minister could point to this government’s establishment of the Future of Media Commission, signing the EU’s Copyright Directive into Irish law, the National Digital Strategy, and a review of defamation laws.
Though we’re bound to be polite about Leo, at least for a while, it’s evident that the Enterprise, Trade and Employment portfolio suits him. The past year has seen solid momentum in FDI projects, and as Ireland’s top corporate lawyers relate in this issue (see p.41), overseas capital in the form of private equity views Irish assets as worthwhile investments. Part of that must be down to the aura of competence and civility Varadkar projects when he’s face to face with senior decision makers.
All this matters for the voters in Varadkar’s constituency of Dublin West. The latest CSO data indicates the seasonally adjusted unemployment rate was 4.8% in April compared with 7.5% a year earlier. The Tánaiste says his target is to have 2.5 million people in employment by the next election, and he knows that fostering enterprise is central to reaching that goal.