A former Chief Executive of Bank of Ireland has said the task of lending to businesses is an "enormous challenge" for banks.

PEANUTS, monkeys. Pay peanuts, you will get somebody with a monkey’s brain. If you want the job done properly, you gotta fork out the serious bucks. So it goes for those with big brains.

CIT Economics Lecturer Tom O’Connor believes the IMF/EU deal “should be cast aside”.

A former chief executive of Bank of Ireland has said the prospect of nationalising the bank is "on a knife edge".

Senior executives at the AIB are to blame for the massive losses recorded last year, the director of the Central Bank said today.

LEADING business figures and former politicians including Sean O’Driscoll of Glen Dimplex and telecom tycoon Denis O’Brien have drafted an economic recovery plan that urges the Government to slash 30,000 jobs from the public sector.

ENDA Kenny should run for President instead of Taoiseach. That could solve a lot of problems for him, for his party and for his country.

AS the final cost of the Anglo Irish Bank bailout is set to be revealed later today AIB has been warned it may have to raise more than the original figure of €7.4 billion in fresh funding to strengthen its capital base.

The former head of Bank of Ireland has said he does not believe the thinking of the banks has changed since the current crisis hit.

THE sale by AIB of its Polish unit Bank Zachodni WBK for €2.5 billion has not guaranteed it will avoid falling under state control.

ONE51 boss Philip Lynch bowed to shareholder pressure and disclosed to the group’s well attended AGM in Dublin yesterday that he was paid €1.4 million last year, despite presiding over losses of nearly €100m in the previous three years.

DOUBTS have been raised about NAMA’s ability to manage its portfolio of loans and its interaction with banks.

BANK of Ireland shares plunged more than 6% yesterday, as the Government took control of a sixth of Ireland’s biggest bank by market value.

There are calls today for a more co-ordinated strategy to tackle the recession.

SOME years back the former boss of Bank of Ireland Mike Soden caused a stir when, just after taking on the job, he suggested the bank should merge with AIB.

FORMER Bank of Ireland chief executive Mike Soden has stood over remarks in which he suggested society should not have to carry the burden of lone parents “who choose that lifestyle”.

PROPERTY developers will not be confronted with any additional powers forcing them to pay back multi-million euro loans, under legislation establishing the National Asset Management Agency (NAMA).

IT was reported last week that Irish banks were looking at diverse ways of shoring up their capital positions in a bid to avoid taking state funds or asking shareholders for money.

AS the Irish banking sector continues to struggle it raises the prospect of a merger or takeover of one or more of the banks.

Former Bank of Ireland chief executive Mike Soden has been paid €2.7 million in settlement for the loss of his job at the bank. Mr Soden resigned after it emerged he accessed a Las Vegas escort internet site.

Bank of Ireland has named Brian Goggin as its new chief executive following the resignation of Mike Soden.

WHEN my boss formally announced that the office computer system allowed management to monitor internet use, it focused our minds wonderfully. We realised that what we thought was private was in fact as public as a water-cooler.

Bank of Ireland has announced the appointment of Sir Michael Hodgkinson, Chairman, Post Office Ltd to its Court of Directors.

Bank of Ireland has announced a number of changes to its Group Executive Committee to take effect from July 1.

BANK OF IRELAND plans to use a new form of financing to raise up to €10 billion to fund its lending programme over the next five years.

Bank of Ireland has said it intends to start an Asset Covered Securities (ACS) fundraising programme during the second half of 2004, subject to regulatory approvals.

THE nation’s two biggest financial institutions — AIB and Bank of Ireland — won’t be in Irish ownership in five years unless the two boards change their tune.

THE full benefits of Bank of Ireland’s joint venture with the Post Office in Britain will not be seen for 18 months, the bank said yesterday.

Patrick Waldron has been appointed as Chief Executive of the recently announced financial services joint venture in Britain between Bank of Ireland and Post Offices Ltd.

Post Office Ltd and Bank of Ireland Group said they have agreed the terms of a financial services joint venture offering products including personal loans, savings accounts, credit cards, personal insurance and mortgages.

In a trading update yesterday, Bank of Ireland chief executive Mike Soden said the bank has seen strong growth in all of its divisions.

Bank of Ireland's trading statement for the six months to September, show all divisions performing well, according to Chief Executive Mike Soden.

Chief Business Correspondent

Bank of Ireland Business Banking is investing €6.35 m with Cork-based Kernel Capital Partners in its venture capital fund.

Bank of Ireland issued strong full year results today, with profit before tax coming in at €1,013m for the year to the end of March.

NATIONAL AUSTRALIA BANK has appointed a top banker to run its British operations, increasing prospects of a bid for an Irish bank.

BANK of IRELAND Group has continued its share buy-back strategy aimed at improving its flagging share price.

BANK of IRELAND will close a significant number of Bristol and West’s 132 branches under a massive restructuring plan for its ailing mortgage business in the UK, it was reported yesterday.

Bank of Ireland is to cut 350 jobs in the UK as it merges two independent financial advice business, it was announced today.

BANK of Ireland shares rose

WHILE profits at Bank of Ireland met market forecasts, the shares fell 5% to €10.86 in early trading.

BANK of Ireland's future strategy will be radically different from the audacious bid for Abbey National in the UK.

IT has certainly been an annus horribilis so far for AIB and Bank of Ireland and the question for the dominant forces in Irish banking is where now?

Bank of Ireland has said savings generated by a proposed merger with Abbey National would reach as high as €631m before tax if it was accepted.