NTMA Raises €5 Billion at Government Bond Auction
THE latest government bond auction has resulted in the National Treasury Management Agency (NTMA) raising €5 billion – a quarter of Ireland’s borrowing requirements for this year. The NTMA raised €5 billion through the auction, a syndicated deal involving six banks, attracting orders of over €7bn for the amount available for issue. Up to 80% […]
Delay in Hearing of Family Law Cases
Contested family law cases are taking up to two years to hear in some court districts, information from court services has shown. Waiting lists have revealed that eight court districts have waiting times of at least one year, while in Wexford and Clonmel divorce and judicial separation cases are taking up to two years to […]
Rights Body Calls for Abortion to be legalised
One of the world’s leading human rights organisations has called on the Government to decriminalise abortion. In a report by Human Rights Watch, the Government is accused of violating a long list of human rLights in its treatment of abortion and related issues including “health, information, privacy, freedom from cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment, life, […]
Permanent TSB Raises Mortgage Interest Rates
Permanent TSB has today confirmed that it is to hike the monthly mortgage repayments of almost 80,000 residential customers. The institution is to raise the interest rate on its standard variable mortgage rate (SVR) and a number of related products by ½% from 3.19% to 3.69% from February 1. It is expected that other mortgage […]
Government Considers Arrears Plan to Help Borrowers
The government may set up a system to protect mortgage borrowers who have fallen behind in their payments from having their home repossessed, Communications Minister Eamon Ryan said. “It’s in no-one’s interest for this to go into the courts,” Ryan told RTE Radio yesterday. “It’s far cleverer to work through it in a flexible way […]
Delay Over Approval from EC to Postpone NAMA Start
The National Asset Management Agency (NAMA) will not begin operating on its scheduled date because the European Commission has not yet approved the Government’s solution to the banking crisis. The agency’s target of February 12 to begin buying toxic bank loans is likely to be missed as the commission has extended its examination of NAMA. […]
Mortgage Holders to be Hit all Round
Homeowners can expect the main banks to follow Permanent TSB’s lead and hike interest rates, pushing up the cost of mortgages for thousands struggling to meet monthly bills. Chief executive of the Irish Banking Federation Pat Farrell said he has no doubt other lenders will find themselves in the same situation as Permanent TSB, which […]
Standard Life Pensions Boost
Standard Life Ireland significantly outperformed the Irish pensions and investments market last year, by generating annual sales growth of 5% against a combined market which fell nearly 30%. The financial services giant has just under 80,000 shareholders in Ireland and around 94,000 customers here. The first half of 2009 saw the Irish side of the […]
€5bn Plan ‘Can Save 40k Building Jobs’
Ireland could avoid the loss of 40,000 construction jobs this year by building roads, schools and hospitals with a proposed €5bn Government stimulus package. Ken Cribben, president of the Society of Chartered Surveyors (SCS), told attendees at the society’s annual dinner in Dublin last night that thousands more jobs are in immediate danger. The society […]
Taxman in Crackdown on NAMA and Black Economy
Revenue has been given a number of new powers under the Finance Bill ranging from the policing of the black economy to the monitoring of tax compliance at the new National Asset Management Agency (NAMA). As the Government attempts to beef up its tax take against the backdrop of the economic downturn, the Revenue will […]
