Reports suggest that the Central Bank initiative to restrict banks to lending 3.5 times income and only 20pc of the value of the property, may be offset by government intervention.

One way of intervening without overly negating the financial stability plans of the Central Bank is to opt for some kind of mortgage insurance scheme. The idea is that first-time borrowers could borrow more than 80pc of the value of …

Finance Minister Michael Noonan said the ‘stress test’ results highlighted the strength of the banking system and the progress made in recent years.

Analysts said the main banks – Allied Irish and Bank of Ireland – should now be in a position to release credit more easily, although they cautioned debt repayments will likely outstrip new lending for at least a year.

Four banks – AIB, Bank of Ireland, Ulster …

The group, known as Hidden Lynx, have targeted hundreds of organisations worldwide, according to Symantec.

“They use targeted attacks to infiltrate some of the most hard-to-get-into companies in the world,” said Stephen Doherty from Symantec’s response team in Dublin.

Mr Doherty said the group uses “a suite of very sophisticated tools” to hack into the firms without being detected.

“They may be after a company’s IP (intellectual property), if they’re …

This is because a sudden jump from a requirement of a deposit of 10pc to a 20pc one could be very disruptive and unfair to those who are close to getting a 10pc deposit together, consumer advocate Brendan Burgess said in a submission to the Central Bank.

Mr Burgess agrees with the new limits, but says they will make it difficult for potential new buyers to get on the housing …

In its 2015 policy statement, the State bad bank said it was now on course to complete much of its business by the end of 2017 or mid-2018.

As recently as July Nama was forecasting it would have completed most of its work by the end of 2018 but the ongoing improvement in the property market has spurred a shorter deadline.

“Based on its analysis of the residual portfolio and …

Gains were limited, however, after data showing China’s economic growth slowed in the third quarter to its weakest since the 2008/09 global financial crisis as a slumping property market dragged on manufacturing and investment, fuelling worries over flagging global growth.

“The main trend is still negative. Volatility is falling back but remains at a high level. We’re in a technical bounce and the market is vulnerable,” said Jean-Louis Cussac, head …

“Permanent TSB is the most vulnerable of the Irish banks,” according to Emmet Gaffney, an analyst at Investec in Dublin.

But he said there is little risk of taxpayers being hit for fresh cash to cover any shortfall, because the bank already has a €400m cushion from taxpayers to help cope with the test results.

AIB and Bank of Ireland are regarded as better capitalised – meaning they would be …

ISE chief executive Deirdre Somers said the exchange is still in negotiations with the Department and Revenue Commissioners about ending the favourable treatment the tax system gives to government bonds.

“There are some impediments, being honest, to launching a bond market absent of certain tax changes,” she said, “but we’re continuing to work with them.

“It’s fiscal equalisation we’re looking for because nobody’s going to invest in high-yield debt at …

Yesterday Finance Minister Michael Noonan said the scheme was ending for new entrants and it was being phased out over six years for companies already operating here.

Pascal Saint-Amans, Director for the OECD’s Centre for Tax Policy and Administration, said that the measure would make for a level playing field and described it as a very courageous step.

“This is a significant move in the right direction, as well as …

The Government announced the return of a Christmas top-up payment worth 25pc of the weekly welfare rate for those on long-term social welfare payments.

Welfare recipients used to get a Christmas bonus of a full week’s extra payment in December, but this double payment was axed by Fianna Fail in 2009 after the economic collapse.

Tanaiste Joan Burton said prior to that there had been a Christmas bonus since 1980, …