Brian Lenihan has signed a ministerial order designating the first group of banks and building societies to participate in the state guarantee scheme.

The Dáil today approved a two-year bank guarantee scheme to protect financial institutions.

The Government is to recoup €1bn from eleven banks protected under a two-year State guarantee scheme.

Ireland’s bank-guarantee scheme has been approved by the European Commission.

IT IS not certain that five foreign-owned banks operating here will be given protection under the Government’s guarantee scheme.

The Government's decision to extend its deposit guarantee scheme to a number of foreign-owned banks operating in Ireland has received a mixed response today.

Finance Minister Brian Lenihan has confirmed that the Government's bank guarantee scheme is to be extended to include more firms.

FOREIGN banks operating in Ireland scrambled for inclusion in the Government’s guarantee scheme yesterday.

IIB Bank says it expects business activity levels in Ireland to decline further by the end of the year following a weakening over the past three months.

Consumer confidence in Ireland has increased for a second consecutive month despite the turmoil on the international markets.

Irish consumers are feeling slightly more positive about their finances.

THE loss of confidence induced by the credit crunch is beginning to manifest itself quite sharply in the housing statistics.

The ESRI and IIB Bank says consumer confidence is now at its lowest level since they began monitoring the situation in 1996.

Three-quarters of firms have seen their costs rise in the past three months, a survey found.

THE average homeowner will have to fork out an extra week’s wages to cover soaring mortgage costs after the European Central Bank (ECB) increased rates by another 0.25%.

CONSUMER confidence fell to a record low last month as increases in food, fuel and borrowing took their toll.

The mood of Irish consumers darkened even further last month, according to the latest assessment by the ESRI and IIB Bank.

IIB bank is forecasting a tough time for the Irish mortgage market in the coming months.

The idea that the media is responsible for the loss of consumer confidence that has undermined the economy is nonsense.

Consumer confidence in Ireland has fallen to its lowest level in recent years, according to the latest assessment by IIB Bank and the ESRI.

THE Government must get a grip on wages and prices to tackle inflation after the rate hit 5% last month, economists said yesterday.

Consumer confidence has remained unchanged over the past month despite increasing economic uncertainty, according to IIB Bank.

TAOISEACH-in-waiting Brian Cowen will have to choose his replacement as minister for finance with care, economists have warned.

AFTER-TAX profits at IIB Bank grew by 10% to €137 million last year as lending growth cooled.

EUROPEAN and British central bankers left their key interest rates unchanged following their monthly meetings.

Consumer confidence in Ireland has weakened over the past month, according to the latest monthly assessment from the ESRI and IIB Bank.

CONSUMER confidence fell by a third over the past 12 months despite a rise in January from a four-and-a-half-year low.

Consumer confidence has increased for the first time since last summer, according to the latest assessment by the ESRI and IIB Bank.

SOLICITOR Thomas Byrne has claimed before the Commercial Court he was the victim of “vampire-like demands for capital” by property developer John Kelly over a 10-year period but never received any profits from several ventures in which both men were involved.

IRISH families and consumers are in debt to the tune of a record €142.7bn — more than double the €60.9bn burden of five years ago.

Turmoil in world financial markets and nervousness about the Irish economic outlook mean Irish house prices could slip by a further 5% in coming months, according to a forecast by IIB Bank.

Consumer confidence in Ireland remains low due to concerns about the short-term future of the jobs market, according to the latest assessment by the ESRI and IIB Bank.

Irish businesses remain positive about their future, despite fears of an economic recession in the US, according to a survey by IIB Bank.

THE “greenest” ever budget is expected to be unveiled by the Government tomorrow with an overhaul of the vehicle registration tax system at its core.

Mortgage brokers are warning that this week's Budget could make or break the housing market in 2008.

Consumer confidence in Ireland is at its lowest level in four years, according to the latest assessment by the ESRI and IIB Bank.

A HIGH COURT judge has refused an application by solicitor Thomas Byrne to lift an injunction granted to IIB Bank last month that restrains Mr Byrne reducing his assets or accounts below €9 million.

WITH estimated liabilities of about €80 million, solicitor Michael Lynn is to be cross-examined by lawyers for the Law Society over two days in the High Court about his dealings in relation to six properties. The hearing was fixed yesterday to open on December 12.

Consumer confidence fell further in October, according to the latest assessment by the ESRI and IIB Bank.

THE Government is coming under increasing pressure to end self-regulation of the legal profession after two solicitors had their businesses closed down when it was discovered they abused their positions to take out millions of euro from various banks.

THE Head of Lending with IIB Bank has told the High Court of concerns about title documents to a number of properties, including residential properties, in relation to which solicitor Thomas A Byrne had dealings.

The overwhelming majority of Irish households can manage their debts without significant concern, according to a study by the ESRI and IIB Bank.

The ESRI and IIB Bank have reported a slight increase in consumer confidence last month following a sharp fall earlier in the year.

TWO snap shots of the economy this week should cheer up anyone feeling gloomy about where the economy is headed.