EIRCOM FINALLY MAKES THE CONNECTION Ireland's previously less than nimble incumbent telco managed to win plaudits from most critics last week in striking a deal with ComReg to address the last outstanding issues on the bete noir of the company's reputation - the Local Loop Unbundling long demanded by competitors in order to better reach customers.

UPSIDE, DOWNSIDE The United Nations body looking at the threat of climate change said that the world could achieve the reductions in carbon dioxide emissions required to save the planet for about one-tenth of a percentage point of economic growth each year until 2030. Which sounds like a great deal until you realise that the only forecasters with a worse success rate than weathermen are economists. Besides, a few more Aprils like the one we just had and we'll be lobbying for more, not less, global warming.

140 JOBS BOXED OFF Smurfit Kappa blamed rising costs of manufacturing for its decision to close a plant in Coolock with the loss of 140 jobs. Investors, who had bought into the newly-minted returnee to the ISEQ on the notion that the cost-cutting had been well and truly done during Smurfit's merger and time on the private equity bench, balked at the news and sent Smurfit Kappa shares down more than 4% on the week.

LIGHTER LOAD FOR RYANAIR

Michael O'Leary (below) predicted that the airline's lower load factors - the percentage of seats filled on each flight - would continue to be soft in the coming months. The Ryanair boss blamed regulators for airport charges and taxes. Ryanair also counted itself less than thrilled about the DAA's Terminal 2 plans, quelle surprise.

Ryanair investors were less than thrilled with the news. On the upside, Irish people spent 1.4bn on trips abroad in the last three months of 2006.