AS the Government prepares to put a final cost on the Anglo Irish Bank rescue, rating agency Standard & Poor’s warned the total cost of the bailout could be higher than its initial €35 billion estimate.

IRELAND could face a further downgrade from Standard & Poor’s (S&P) as the ratings agency expects the country to inject as much as €35 billion into Anglo Irish Bank “over time”.

AS the Irish population ages, the implications for the national debt and our international credit rating could be serious, a report warned yesterday.