AIB approved €5.6bn in credit to the SME sector in the year to the end of November, 52% more than in the first 11 months of 2013.

A €300m fund to support investment in the healthcare sector and meet the future needs of Ireland’s ageing population is set to be announced today.

A shortage of suitable sites and a complex planning system is slowing down the delivery of new houses that is contributing to the current rapid rise in property prices in some areas.

Only three-in-10 Ireland-based technology firms plan to seek bank credit this year, with the majority of growth-orientated companies set to fund the expansion of their businesses via their own resources, according to new research.

AIB is looking to return to the property development game with the launch of a €350m fund earmarked for urban areas.

Two-thirds of hotels are confident that they will see an improvement in the performance of the Irish hotel sector over the next three years, according to new research produced for AIB.