- NEWS
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
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Breaking stories
Ulster chief could still receive bonus
By Fiachra Ó Cionnaith
Scandal-hit Ulster Bank’s chief executive Jim Brown could still pick up a lucrative bonus this year, despite the head of the wider RBS Group foregoing the “inappropriate” payment.
On the 11th day of the IT computer systems crisis yesterday, Royal Bank of Scotland chief executive Stephen Hester confirmed he would not receive any extra pay this year as a gesture to furious customers.The move means he is effectively foregoing a €1m-plus all shares extra fee because of the damage the bank’s internal IT problems have caused to more than 100,000 Irish customers and 17m people in Britain for almost a fortnight.
However, despite the position by the RBS Group chief, his counterpart at Ulster Bank, Jim Brown, has yet to make the same show of solidarity. A spokesperson for the bank, which has been criticised for delaying information on what is happening and repeatedly pushing back targets for when the issue will be fully resolved, took almost five hours to tell the Irish Examiner no decision had been made.
While Mr Brown told this newspaper on Thursday any stance on bonuses would be a “group decision” with RBS and NatWest, this means he has yet to follow Mr Hester’s example.
The RBS Group paid out €971m in bonuses last year, including €482m to the wider group’s 17,000 investment bankers. While the figure is eye-catching, it is still 43% lower than what was paid out in 2010.
Meanwhile, despite insisting the “bulk” of backlogged salaries have been lodged in accounts, Ulster Bank still cannot say exactly how many people continue to be affected.
The under-fire firm has also finally confirmed that it will be the middle of next week before the problems stemming from an IT software upgrade are fully fixed, a situation they had dismissed in recent days.
This means child welfare and household welfare recipients who are due to receive their state support on Tuesday are set to be dragged into the scandal.
Ulster Bank said while “some social welfare and children’s allowance payments continue to be affected” they will be able to access the funds by physically arriving at a branch with photographic ID and their account number.
The firm will also publish advertisements in national newspapers next week to highlight how people can access their money.
More than 70,000 people concerned about what is happening at the bank have contacted its helpline 1800 205100 this week, while the wider RBS Group is reported to be facing a €100m-plus bill.
A total of 60 branches will stay open today, and a further 22 on Sunday, while 80 branches have extended opening hours to help worried customers.
* www.ulsterbank.ie or the helpline 1800 205100