McGrath looks to new tools to boost switching

Struggling with rising mortgage repayments? You will, no doubt, be relieved that the full might of the State – and connected agencies – is engaged in the issue.

Finance Minister Michael McGrath outlined actions underway in response to a Dáil question about mortgage switching from his Fianna Fáil colleague and ex-minister Robert Troy, who knows a thing or two about the challenges of property ownership.

“The Central Bank should review the existing regulatory provisions and consider more dedicated mortgage switching resources, such as a standalone mortgage switching code.”

He had met the CEOs of the banks and some non-bank lenders “where I emphasised that they should take a consumer-focused approach to encourage switching where possible. I have also asked the Banking and Payments Federation to develop a campaign to ensure consumers are aware of the supports available”.

“On behalf of my department, the ESRI is currently carrying out work which will inform the development of tools to promote switching,” he said. That work had revealed “customer inertia” as a big problem. Expect an ad campaign soon that perhaps pays homage to an old favourite with something like: “I don’t know what my tracker costs?”

Coveney ‘psyched’ to bring Brew Dog to SSP

Former Greencore boss Patrick Coveney is enjoying the boom in travel at SSP Group, a travel beverage and food operator that he now leads. The company last week announced a link-up with trendy drinks company Brew Dog, with the Corkman saying SPP could ‘travelise’ its products, which he explained meant developing a model that would work in the travel sector.

He said SSP plans to bring excitement to its UK business. Coveney seemed quite excited himself on Sky News describing the company as ‘psyched’ to be announcing the Brew Dog news.

Sodexco hopes food is way to workers’ hearts

As some companies edge towards a return to the office, on-site food offerings might be part of the formula to get people back at their desks. Food services company Sodexco is well aware of this and recently held an event, ‘Thriving at Work – Fuelling Employee Experience for Success’.

It showcased latest food trends “and insights for organisations looking to create agile and innovative workplace dining experiences and those ‘wow’ moments for staff, which in turn will motivate them to return to the office.”

Let’s see if the way to a worker’s heart is through their stomach.​

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