The consolidation of credit unions continues apace, with Dublin, Cork, and Galway having five or more with assets of at least €100m, the Central Bank’s latest financial health report reveals.

More credit unions are being urged to get involved in a scheme to stop vulnerable people from turning to moneylenders.

The green light came as the Central Bank unveiled new lending rules that free up credit unions from January to effectively offer loans to home borrowers and businesses for the first time.

Many vulnerable, elderly people will be left with no life cover when a credit union scraps its death benefit insurance next month.

The news that dozens of credit unions across the country are set to take on the banks by offering current accounts for the first time has been broadly welcomed.

Credit Unions are now offering current accounts to members.

A group of 30 credit unions, including ones in Cork, Kerry, and Tipperary, has hailed the rollout of current accounts for the first time as an alternative to the big banks for its members.

A Co Meath credit union dismissed its head of lending after examining a number of loans he made, including an excessively large car loan made to a person on social welfare.

Savings limits are being imposed at credit unions across the country.

Cork-based Strencom has announced today that it has signed cloud and connectivity deals totalling €2 million with 140 credit unions across the country.

Fianna Fáil have said that Credit Unions could be a solution to the housing crisis.

Construction work is poised to start on a new headquarters for one of Ireland’s largest credit unions after a breakthrough in a legal dispute which stalled the project for years.

Credit unions are the top Irish brands for customer experience even as their bank rivals failed to make the top 50, while Ryanair and the social media giants such as Facebook slumped in the rankings, according to a major survey measuring how Irish shoppers were treated by companies.

The decision to merge the credit unions in Killarney and Cahersiveen has sparked fears among locals that the branch in the Iveragh town may be downgraded.

A fund set up to support financially unstable credit institutions incurred legal costs of €427,000 in relation to the winding up last year of Charleville Credit Union (CCU).

The Central Bank has given a broadly upbeat assessment of the credit union sector, but has warned it remains far from being long-term financially secure.

A Central Bank report has found that the total assets held by Ireland's credit union sector now stand at a record high.

Staff have emerged as winners in 30% of the credit unions who ran prize raffles over a three year period, according to a Central Bank report.

By Stephen Cadogan

Credit unions should be regulated based on their size, have a greater flexibility to issue loans, and be allowed provide lending to help alleviate the housing and homelessness crisis, according to a report from an Oireachtas committee.

Credit unions across the country have an “unsustainable” level of loans compared to their asset base, an unpublished report from the Oireachtas Finance Committee will conclude.

Up to 20% of loan applications in some credit unions are now coming through Facebook, a body representing the sector has said.

Credit unions could be in the position to fund social housing projects through approved bodies by next year.

The government should allow Credit Unions to make available the hundreds of millions of euros they have available for the provision of social and affordable housing, according to Sinn Fein.

Revelations that more than half a million euro has been stolen from accounts in two Cork credit unions should lead to an external review of the governance of both institutions.

Credit unions have moved a step closer to adding mortgage lending to their suite of services.

Unless credit unions are permitted to broaden their business and current regulations are relaxed, they will not survive.

Almost 40,000 members remain in the dark about a proposed merger of two large credit unions in Munster.

Here's your lunchtime bulletin.

A group representing some of the biggest credit unions in the country said they plan to make a splash into the mortgage market, with €400m in new lending.

Credit Unions provide the best customer experience in Ireland according to a new report.

Struggling families will be able to avoid going to loan sharks by using a new low-interest lending scheme.

OF all our financial institutions, none are more revered than the credit unions and it is not difficult to see why.

A new Credit Union loans system is being rolled out, aimed at putting pressure on moneylenders.

Credit unions have more than €8bn in surplus funds which could be used to help address the social housing emergency, but have been prevented from doing so by the State, it was claimed yesterday.