The Government has announced plans which it says can create up to 300,000 jobs in the next five years.

IRELAND has the largest exhibition of farm machinery outside of French firms at the SPACE livestock and agricultural equipment trade show, which opened at Rennes yesterday and continues until Friday.

Trade and Commerce Minister Billy Kelleher is today warning unions to step back and think about the alternatives of not accepting the public sector pay and reform deal.

MORE than 900 jobs are to be created over the coming three years, as a boost to the Government’s ongoing “smart economy” strategy.

SENIOR trade union leaders last night claimed the Government collapsed the public sector pay talks as part of a campaign to drive down wages in order to improve competitiveness.

THE impact of the Dubai debt crisis hit US markets yesterday as investors panicked about the fallout from possible debt default.

SOCIAL partnership talks on a new economic recovery plan appeared to be floundering late last night after unions rejected demands by IBEC for a pay pause to the end of 2011 and a more employer-friendly inability to pay clause.

THE Government has indicated to the social partners that there may be technical difficulties in increasing taxation this year, even though unions are demanding immediate action to broaden the tax base in 2009.

Trade unions are dismissing reports that Aer Lingus plans to use American crew members on its flights to and from the US.

THE decision on whether there will be a new national wage agreement should be made within the next 24 hours, it emerged yesterday.

Trade and Commerce Minister John McGuinness to lead a trade mission to Turkey in October.

IT’S staggering how often a hugely hyped and over-anticipated event like the World Cup Final has turned into a tense defensive battle.

TRADE union leaders said the childcare package was distinctly underwhelming and were also critical of the decision to retain tax reliefs for private hospitals.

THE creeping trend of privatisation is causing irreparable damage to the Irish health service, it was claimed yesterday.

The creeping trend of privatisation is causing irreparable damage to the Irish health service, it was claimed today.

An upmarket Northern Ireland shirt maker has clinched a major deal to sell its products in top class department stores across the United States, it was revealed today.

INTERNATIONAL trade has been key to Ireland’s economic success, a Government minister said yesterday.

THE GOVERNMENT yesterday rejected a report recommending raising the age of retirement to 75 in order to stave off the pensions time-bomb.

UNIONS warned yesterday they were not optimistic a new national pay deal could be struck.

The President of the Irish Congress of Trade Unions says employers will have to pay up if they want a new partnership deal.

IRISH Fertilizer Industry workers from three plants North and South of the Border will protest outside the Tánaiste’s Dublin office next Thursday over redundancy payments and cuts in some pension funds.

Guinness Ireland has announced it is to plough €38m in to its breweries in Dundalk and Waterford.

THE country’s trade union head said yesterday that gloomy economic predictions should not prevent workers getting substantial increases in a new wage agreement.

The British government has welcomed a deal to launch a new round of world trade talks after a "historic" agreement between trade ministers from 142 countries.

Lloyds TSB is stepping up its search for an international partner after its plans to float on Wall Street were given the green light.