A senior official in Greece's finance ministry says the country is planning a gradual return to international debt markets next year.

The Irish bond market faces challenging headwinds over the coming months in the form of domestic political risk and the dangers of a potential Brexit.

The implied cost of borrowing on bond markets for Ireland yesterday fell to its lowest level since April as international traders — as had been expected — ignored the uncertain outcome of the Dáil election.

Greece cannot make debt repayments to the IMF next month unless it achieves a deal with creditors, its interior minister said yesterday, the most explicit remarks yet from Athens about the likelihood of default if talks fail.