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Martin wades into abortion debateAs the Dáil committee hearings continue on the abortion bill, Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin has waded into the debate saying it is important that Christian believers "be, and seen to be, on the side of life, especially when life is most vulnerable".
Payment cuts see families pay rent shortfallLimits on rent supplement payments set by the Government are forcing thousands of families to make undeclared top-up payments to landlords to secure places to live.
- WORLD
Anger as North Korea launches another missileNorth Korea fired a short-range missile from its east coast, a day after launching three more of these missiles, a South Korean news agency said.
How Star Trek predicted the futureWHEN Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry first dreamed up the concept of a television show based in the unexplored universe of Outer Space in 1964, the world was a very different place.
- BUSINESS
Warnings over future of eurozoneThe eurozone is heading towards a break up unless there are moves towards much closer political and fiscal union, according to chief economist with State Street Global Advisers, Chris Probyn.
Bruton defends corporate tax rateIreland will be able to maintain its current corporation tax code in the face of international pressure to prevent multinational corporations avoid paying their fare share of tax, Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation, Richard Bruton said yesterday.
- SPORT
Mayo’s statement of intentGalway 0-11 Mayo 4-16 Five minutes to go in Salthill yesterday and James Horan was still cajoling his men to sew it into Galway.
Wilkinson inspires Toulon to gloryASM Clermont Auvergne 15 Toulon 16 Not for the first time this season, a matchday performance and the result have made a mockery of the statistics.
- LIFESTYLE
What Lenny did nextLENNY Abrahamson has directed three feature films: Adam & Paul, Garage and What Richard Did.
Clothes maketh you madTrying on clothes, said Ewart, produced "sensations which bring deep peace and perfect contentment" to the female mind.
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Breaking stories
Business failures ‘levelling out’
The number of companies that have gone out of business in the year to date is up by 3% on the same period in 2011, but a “levelling out” of the extent of business failures is becoming evident.
By Geoff Percival
New data from corporate recovery firm, Kavanagh Fennell shows that the total number of corporate insolvencies — for the year up to the beginning of November — stood at 1,547.That constitutes a 3% year-on- year increase. There were 139 failures noted in November, alone.
The new figures also show that the construction sector — unsurprisingly — continues to be the most severely affected; accounting for 25% of this year’s total insolvencies.
The retail sector also continues to be hit — 204 companies going out of business since January; the same number as in the first 10 months of 2011.
According to Kavanagh Fennell’s Ken Fennell, the overall insolvency figure for this year is likely to amount to 1,700 — which would be in line with last year and would symbolise progress.
“The figures show a levelling out of corporate insolvencies, which is a positive sign.
“However, the business environment remains challenging and it will be interesting to see the effects of the budget and the consumer spend over the Christmas period,” he added.
More positive aspects of the latest survey were that the number of insolvencies in the hospitality sector fell by 22% year-on-year in the first 10 months of 2012.
It also noted a shift in the type of corporate recovery measures being adopted by firms introuble; with receiverships up by 43% and examinerships rising by 73%.
The latter ties in with a change in legislation, making it easier for struggling SMEs torestructure their debt.
According to MrFennell: “Changes to government legislation, to reduce the cost of examinerships, will allow a business to continue to trade and restructure; preserving employment and work in progress, as well as delivering a better return to creditors than would be the case in a winding-up.”