By Business & Finance 
Business & Finance brings you the day’s Irish business news in brief.
Diageo announces details of new premium whiskey and Dublin distillery
Diageo has moved into the premium Irish whiskey category with the launch of Roe & Co, a new premium blended whiskey.
The news comes with the announcement that Diageo plans to investment in a whiskey distillery at St James’s Gate. The total project investment at what was once a power station will come to €25m over three years.
Roe & Co is named in honour of George Roe, the once world-famous whiskey maker who helped build the golden era of Irish whiskey in the 19th century. His distillery on Thomas Street in Dublin was once Ireland’s largest distillery.
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Dublin Port cargo volumes increase for fourth successive year
Dublin Port Company has announced the first review of its ‘Masterplan 2012-2040’, which opens today for public consultation as full-year trade figures show cargo volumes grew by 6.3% to 34.9 million gross tonnes in 2016.
Dublin Port’s Masterplan 2012-2040, a framework to guide the future development and operation of Dublin Port, makes provision for periodic reviews.
Since it was first published in 2012, there have been a number of significant developments, which have prompted a review of the Masterplan. A consultation paper has been prepared to help inform the public consultation, which runs until Tuesday March 7th.
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Irish millennials expect economic situation in Ireland to improve
Over 50% of Irish millennials expect the overall economic situation in Ireland to improve in the next 12 months, according to a new survey of millennials by Deloitte.
This compares to just 36% in western Europe. The survey looks at how millennials feel in the current turbulent political and economic environment.
When asked about their personal concerns, 31% of respondents said terrorism was their greatest concern in the next year with a quarter worrying about crime and personal safety.
83% feel that national governments have the potential to solve the challenges facing society today and 71% feel that multinational companies also have potential to play a role in solving these.
Limerick Chamber joins forces with Dell EMC and University of Limerick
Limerick Chamber today kicked off its Regional Leaders’ Programme at an event hosted by Dell EMC at its campus in Raheen Business Park.
The programme is being delivered by the Limerick Chamber in partnership with Dell EMC and the University of Limerick.
The purpose of the initiative is to develop leaders for the future in the Mid-West region and beyond through mentorship and skills sharing.
Following on from the success of the Limerick Chamber’s recent Leadership Mentoring Programme, this new programme, with the support of Dell EMC and University of Limerick, will support skill development amongst 150 current and future business leaders.
Ulster Bank announces partnership with SBCI for €150m agriculture scheme
Ulster Bank has announced an expanded partnership with the Strategic Banking Corporation of Ireland to offer working capital finance to agri-businesses at a lower cost and over more flexible terms.
The €150m Agriculture Cashflow Support Scheme, announced by the Government in Budget 2016, will be available to farmers throughout Ireland at a low-cost interest rate of 2.95%.
The scheme has been developed in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture, Food and the Marine.
Invest of €28m in rural recreation projects announced for 2017
The Minister for Arts, Heritage, Regional, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Heather Humphreys TD, has today announced the investment of more than €28m in towns, villages and rural recreation projects in 2017.
200 towns and villages are set to benefit from the funding.
A further 100 projects will benefit from rural recreation funding, which will help to attract additional visitors to rural areas. A variety of schemes will be opened in the coming months to directly benefit rural communities and heritage projects nationwide.
