A fine of €20,000 for Michael Walsh, the former non-executive chairman at Irish Nationwide during the boom years, and a three-year ban on his managing a financial firm were the eye-catching items of a Central Bank settlement agreement this week.

A finance expert has called on the Central Bank to investigate the operation of all the credit committees of the banks whose unsustainable lending during the boom years led to the crash and the €64bn bill for taxpayers.

A farmer who was attacked by cows on his farm died due to crush injuries, writes Louise Roseingrave.