Some difficult comprehension passages opened the second higher-level Leaving Certificate Irish paper yesterday morning.

Maths and science kicked off the second week of Junior Certificate exams yesterday.

Teachers unions and groups working with young people have welcomed Education Minister Richard Bruton’s plans for a review of sex education in schools.

The Society of Chartered Surveyors has called for a zero Vat rate for building “affordable” homes as it warned pent-up demand could mean the housing crisis will last almost 10 years.

The Society of Chartered Surveyors has called for a zero Vat rate for building “affordable” homes as it warned pent-up demand could mean the housing crisis will last almost 10 years.

Residential property prices nationwide rose by 11.9% in the 12 months to May and prices are accelerating at twice the rate of the previous 12 months.

The Junior Certificate French exam for higher-level students contained no surprises for those familiar with papers in previous years.

The higher level Junior Certificate maths paper 2 had a mix of very manageable and some tricky parts, according to Elaine Devlin of the Association of Secondary Teachers Ireland (ASTI).

A pilot programme for the induction of teachers must be adequately resourced if it is to be brought in nationwide, a union has warned.

A Paul Henry painting is among the works going under the hammer at the RDS, writes Des O’Sullivan.

The time and level of training required to introduce computer science as a Leaving Certificate subject next year needs significant investment if it is to be a realistic option for all students, a teachers union has warned.

North Leinster games manager Alan Mulhall cites the involvement of inter-county players in management positions as one of the prime reasons Moate Community College and St Peter’s College Wexford make up the novel pairing in today’s provincial colleges “A” final in Portlaoise (1pm throw-in).

Business studies took up the entire Junior Certificate schedule yesterday, although ordinary level students only had a morning paper to sit.

The first of two higher level Irish papers offered some 31,200 Junior Cert students, what Robbie Cronin considered quite a good choice of essays.

The war of words over the Central Bank’s year-old mortgage rules has flared again, as bank governor Philip Lane said there will be no early review, even as auctioneers launched a fresh broadside calling for them to be changed immediately.

A British peer and former 10 Downing St adviser to Gordon Brown, Wilf Stevenson, has just bought the West Cork home of former AIB chief executive David Duffy, Glebe House, for close to €2.5m.

Shares in Clydesdale Bank now run by former AIB boss David Duffy rose up to 2.4% yesterday in their London debut, valuing the British lender at about £1.62bn (€2.14bn).

The targeted level of annual new house builds needed to meet consumer demand is unlikely to be met for another three years at the earliest, a leading economic think-tank has suggested.

Rare praise from one of AIB’s board most trenchant critics came late into what was one of the oddest shareholders’ meetings ever held in Ireland.

The economy will surge 6% this year and will keep growing rapidly next year too at a rate of 4.5%, while significant increases in domestic demand and for the first time in consumer spending will drive the recovery, the Economic and Social Research Institute said in its latest quarterly bulletin.

It was not the first time that the ESRI think-tank has warned the Coalition against inflating the economy.

 

The number of households in negative equity is falling rapidly and could fall to zero as early as late 2017, such is the unexpected pace in house price rises, says the country’s leading think-tank.

Influential think-tank the Economic and Social Research Institute has added its voice to growing chorus of commentators warning that the Government risks spoiling the recovery if it were to pump too much into the economy in its pre-election budget in October.

AIB faces mounting pay demands from its staff and a headache over shaping long-term incentives for its senior bosses as the Government prepares the bank for sale next year, experts have said.

Bank chiefs are set to be quizzed today on how they propose to offer families with variable rate mortgages a reprieve or otherwise face the threat of Government action.

Clydesdale Bank has reported a 53% jump in first-half pre-tax profit benefitting from a one-off gain from capital restructuring and lower impairment losses on credit exposures. 

Clydesdale Bank has reported a 53% jump in first-half pre-tax profit benefitting from a one-off gain from capital restructuring and lower impairment losses on credit exposures. Outgoing AIB head David Duffy is shortly set to join the British lender as CEO.

Job security rather than workers’ salaries or disposable income has a far greater impact on consumer demand and retail rents, a report has found.

AIB is the latest bank to report an improving financial position, turning a quarterly profit as it benefited from an improving climate both at home and in Britain.

The chief executive of AIB when the recession hit has said his €2.4m total annual pay package during the era was peer-reviewed and he never asked for a pay rise.

The mystery over why Anglo and Irish Nationwide were included in the blanket bank guarantee deepened after another senior banker said yesterday that he advised the Government not to include the stricken firms in the deal.

AIB has reiterated to shareholders that it is actively considering cutting the rate of interest it charges mortgage customers.

AIB intends to promote its retail and business unit head Bernard Byrne to the role of chief executive, and is seeking permission from regulators for the move, according to a source.

AIB has confirmed that over 5,700 owner-occupied homes in mortgage arrears face being taken over by the bank amid suggestions that a “tsunami” of repossessions are on the way.

Almost 140,000 AIB variable mortgage holders look set to get a cut in their interest rates by the summer.

AIB will look at reducing its variable interest rate for mortgage customers in June, its chief executive has said.

AIB will pay a €280m dividend to the Government in May as it begins the process of repaying €21bn in State aid.

Finance Minister Michael Noonan says he won’t sell more than 25% of AIB in a first step toward private ownership, with October the earliest time for the Government to reduce its stake.