The Government and State agencies have paid consultants €152m for advice on the banking crisis.

C&C is unlikely to make a play for Scottish whisky maker Glenmorangie which has come on the market with a stg£220m plus (€330m) price tag.

David de Rothschild, who runs the Rothschild banking business in France, is to take over the running of the family-held banking empire from his cousin this month as the firm unites its French and British arms in a single entity.