WEDNESDAY night’s marathon summit in Brussels was the 14th held in the 21 months since European leaders originally agreed to rescue Greece.

THE eurozone bailout fund could be increased up to €1 trillion in a bid to contain the single currency’s mounting debt crisis.

The eurozone bailout fund will see its firepower increased to more than €1 trillion to enable it to contain the Eurozone debt turmoil, German government sources said today.

The President of the European Union Herman Van Rompuy has said all EU finance ministers have agreed that a co-ordinated scheme is needed to recapitalise Europe's banks.

Eurozone finance ministers were continuing discussions in Brussels today ahead of a summit tomorrow aimed at hammering out a solution to the region’s debt crisis, as reports indicated the Greek economy to be in even worse shape than feared.

THE ISEQ index started the week with a modest gain of 36.59 points to 2,441.33.

IRELAND is likely to save about €10 billion over the life of its EU/IMF loans, Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said.

WHEN the EU leaders agreed a deal a few short weeks back to relieve the pressures on Greece in particular and the eurozone in general, sensible people recognised that this would only bring short-term relief.

World markets suffered a further collapse today after after European Commission President Jose Manuel Barroso warned the sovereign debt crisis is spreading.

THE cost of Ireland’s bailout will be cut by over €1 billion a year as other lenders have indicated they will follow the EU’s lead and reduce the interest rate on the entire €67bn loan.

WHEN markets open this morning, eurozone leaders will quickly know whether the latest raft of measures they agreed will actually work.

EXPERTS are working overtime to come up with a second Greek bailout worth about €120 billion for Thursday’s emergency eurozone summit.

FUTURE budgets will be less harsh as a result of a series of cuts being worked out for Ireland’s bailout package, Finance Minister Michael Noonan has said.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and Finance Minister Michael Noonan have both welcomed an agreement which could improve the terms of Ireland’s EU/IMF bailout deal.

EU LEADERS are set to approve a lower interest rate for any country borrowing from the European Financial Stability Fund (EFSF).

While yesterday’s interest rate rise was blamed on inflation, the cost of the bailouts of Portugal, Ireland, Greece and possibly Spain could lead to further rate hikes, writes Tom O’Connor

David Cameron should resist any pressure on Britain to take part in a bailout for Portugal, the Conservative MEP leader said today.

A CUT in the cost of the EU/IMF bailout is expected to be on the agenda for next week’s EU finance ministers meeting and the European Commission will support it, according to a spokesperson for economics chief Olli Rehn.

IN two years time, Ireland will have to find up to €11 billion to contribute to the EU’s new bailout fund, the European Stability Mechanism.

SO far the battle for Dáil seats with parties using the economy as a weapon looks like a macabre play with few links to reality when viewed from Brussels.

The former chief executive of the NTMA has said he was taken aback by the IMF's arrival in Ireland and Ireland's subsequent bailout.

THE EU will sign the loan agreement with Ireland before Christmas and be ready to raise the bailout money in the new year, the head of the European Financial Stability Fund announced following last night’s eurozone finance ministers meeting in Brussels.

THE EU appears poised to offer Ireland massive loans the country could not raise from the markets to solve it’s banking crisis.

The Department of Finance is today rejecting claims that Ireland is already in talks with Europe to access the bailout fund.

AS the cost of Irish borrowing fell yesterday a leading Irish economist said he expects the economy will survive the current crisis without having to resort to EU or IMF support.