Government seen as main barrier to bond scheme for Irish SMEs

Plans to launch a bond market for SMEs are in limbo as the Irish Stock Exchange (ISE) tries to persuade the Department of Finance to change the way securities are taxed. ISE chief executive Deirdre Somers said the exchange is still in negotiations with the Department...

ECB begins buying bonds to revive economy

The European Central Bank launched its much-awaited covered bond-purchase programme yesterday in a bid to kick-start the moribund euro zone economy, focusing on short-dated debt held by French and Spanish banks, according to analysts. The plan, announced by ECB...

NAMA site was sold for double the price after barely a year

A PROPERTY sold by NAMA for €7.5m in 2013 was bought by a property firm for more than twice that price little more than a year later. The site, at 1-6 Sir John Rogerson’s Quay in Dublin’s Docklands was sold by NAMA to Australia-based student accommodation...

Noonan ‘not aware’ of plans to change Irish Water management

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan said this morning he is not aware of any plans to alter the senior management team at Irish Water. Arriving at Government Buildings ahead of the Cabinet meeting Mr Noonan said there was “no plan that I know of anyway”. Asked to...

Cheaper oil – Both symptom and balm

AFTER declining gradually for three months, oil prices suddenly tumbled almost $4 on October 14th alone. It was the largest single-day fall in more than a year and brought the price of Brent crude, an international benchmark, to $85 a barrel. At its peak in June, a...

Emily O’Reilly seeks public opinion on EU trade deal

European Ombudsman Emily O’Reilly has opened a public consultation process on the EU-US trade deal negotiations, arguing that the process could have “a significant impact” on the lives of EU citizens. Ms O’Reilly yesterday opened a six-week consultation process,...