Ireland, as part of a coordinated approach with the eurozone, will likely be offered some sort of bank guarantee to respond to the Covid-19 fallout, such is the exceptional nature of the crisis , leading economists have said.

Eurozone finance ministers are set to agree this month a more growth-friendly fiscal policy, a change from current targets that would pave the way for more spending in Germany amid fears of a downturn.

Politicians agreed on a rulebook for recapitalising banks after €600bn was spent saving them. But so many exemptions now make it worthless, says Ferdinando Giugliano.

Yanis Varoufakis says Mario Draghi’s stewardship of the ECB was blighted by the constraints he worked under — and the same problem faces his successor.

Irish rents and restaurant service prices are likely to continue to drive the prices of services higher, the EU said in new forecasts that suggest that the economy will continue to grow as long as external risks such as a crash-out Brexit are avoided.

First-time buyers in Ireland pay an average of €173 more per month on their mortgage compared to the Eurozone.

An Enterprise Ireland survey has found that Brexit has cost one in ten Irish exporters more than €100,000 to date.

Most Germans live by the credo that saving is a virtue, but the ECB’s negative interest rates risk making a mockery of the national obsession, prompting politicians to seek ways to insulate thrifty citizens and keep the burden on the country’s beleaguered banks.

Italy wants France and Spain to support its campaign to change the EU’s fiscal rules and focus them more on growth in the face of a regional and global economic slowdown, Economy Minister Giovanni Tria said in an interview.

Global stockmarkets led by Asia joined in a relief rally after US president Donald Trump and China called a truce in their trade war.

Underlying inflation in the eurozone rebounded in June, offering some comfort to the ECB, but still falling short of the improvement policymakers are hoping for.

John Finn, MD of Treasury Solutions Ltd, says that he is concerned that Ireland has not learned the lessons of a decade ago and if Ireland was one of the companies that Treasury Solutions has advised in its debt management and financing, he would urge prudent investment management, sound evaluation of capital investment opportunities and the establishment of solid, robust borrowing arrangements.

Medha Singh and Susan Mathew European Central Bank chief Mario Draghi’s dovish remarks — signalling that the ECB will ease policy again if inflation fails to accelerate — sent European stocks to six-week highs while news that the US and China would resume trade talks at the G20 summit also boosted sentiment.

Students were very happy with both the Leaving Cert business and art papers, which featured a wide choice of questions and “no big surprises".

No one knows if we are facing into another recession but but if you haven’t looked at the positioning of your own financial products, now is probably a good time to do so, suggests economist Eddie Hobbs.

The euro’s stagnant start to the year might be ending as signs emerge that Europe’s economic growth is reviving.

France will propose a new “growth contract” with its eurozone partners to encourage northern European countries to invest more and for southern countries to undertake further reforms, its finance minister said.

EU officials have slashed their growth forecast for the 19 countries that use the euro, saying even the reduced estimate was vulnerable to "large uncertainty".

European shares rose slightly yesterday, reversing initial losses, as anxiety over political stability in Italy appeared to ease just hours before a cabinet meeting to set budget targets.

The rates will be 1% less than what's currently on offer, and will be available to both new holders and mortgage switchers.

The second half of this year is likely to provide further evidence that global monetary policy is gradually shifting into a tightening phase.

Whatever the outcome of England’s World Cup campaign, Irish business will be hoping that sterling wins on the currency markets.

Rising consumer prices means the ECB is on course to hike interest rates sometime in late 2019, even though borrowing costs will come too early for Greece and Italy, S&P Global Ratings has said.

Irish factories still extended a winning run despite the huge disruption to work and transport that Storm Emma visited on the country last month.

Comments by ECB chief economist over the steep path inflation still has to take may mean mortgage rates here stay lower for longer, an economist has said.

The ECB is inching closer to a time when it will end its huge bond-buying programme of pumping money into the financial system, which will signal the start of hikes in interest rates for the first time since the crisis, writes Eamon Quinn.

The Government is to nominate Central Bank governor Philip Lane to become Ireland’s first ever vice-president of the European Central Bank.

The economic prospects for Ireland’s main export market, the eurozone, look better now than at any time in the past decade or more, writes Oliver Mangan.

World markets gave a muted reception to the passage of US tax cuts, while bonds steadied having been spooked by the expected blowout in government debt needed to fund the giveaways.

Greece's independent statistics agency has said the country's economy grew by 1.3% on the year in the previous quarter.

The late, great Tom Petty wrote: “I’m learning to fly, but I ain’t got wings, Coming down is the hardest thing, Well the good ol’ days may not return… What goes up must come down.”

Even as Catalonia serves a reminder that political risks remain, the eurozone’s year of living dangerously is turning out well for the economy.