The employers' body IBEC says it is confident that it can reach agreement with trade unions and the Government on an economic recovery plan.

The Irish Congress of Trade Unions is to meet on Monday to consider the move by business group IBEC to seek a deferral of the national pay agreement.

The Taoiseach says Ireland is facing very serious choices about its future.

The Government tonight announced a €10bn fund to recapitalise the country's financial institutions.

IBEC have welcomed the assurances agreed by EU leaders at the European Summit in response to Ireland's rejection of the Lisbon Treaty earlier this year.

IBEC Director General Turlough O'Sullivan has warned that unless the funding rules governing defined benefit pension schemes are urgently reformed, a number will collapse, with benefits being severely restricted.

The seventh day of talks is underway at government buildings, in a last-ditch effort to reach a national pay deal

Talks aimed at securing a new national wage agreement are adjourned for the evening.

Talks aimed at securing a new national pay deal are to resume at Government Buildings today.

Business groups have today welcomed the Government’s decision to move Budget 2009 ahead almost two months to October 14.

The Director General of IBEC, Turlough O'Sullivan, today warmly welcomed the €650m capital investment plan announced by Diageo.

The employers' body IBEC is predicting that talks on a new national pay deal will be lengthy and difficult.

The Taoiseach is seeking a meeting with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions (ICTU) and business group IBEC to discuss inflation after the new Government is formed.

Business and employers’ groups are broadly welcoming today’s Budget as encouraging investment and innovation.

There has been no progress so far at talks on a new national agreement as unions and employers continue their meeting at Government Buildings tonight.

Pay talks are underway this afternoon at Government Buildings in Dublin.

A RECORD 666,400 taxpayers paid tax at the top rate of 42% this year, according to figures compiled by the Department of Finance.

Employers groups have said businesses should not have to pay rising local authority charges.

OVER €1bn of the additional €2.5 billion in spending announced by Finance Minister Brian Cowen yesterday will go towards paying public sector wages and pensions.

THE Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) believes businesses can reduce costs and protect the environment by introducing cleaner, greener practices.

EMPLOYERS group IBEC has fired the opening shot in advance of the upcoming national pay talks by calling for pay restraint and ruling out local bargaining arrangements.

IBEC has warned further job losses will occur in the manufacturing sector if workers keep looking for higher wages.

WORKERS must be allowed more flexibility to balance their social and family lives with their job responsibilities, a new employer network has urged.

The main employers' body, IBEC, says any tax hikes, or the introduction of any new taxes, such as the carbon energy tax, will only serve to make us more uncompetitive.

THE Taoiseach will face a barrage of questions over the Government's assistance to the US military build-up in Iraq when the Dáil resumes on Wednesday.

The employers' group, IBEC, says proposals for a new partnership agreement will not be decided upon by its members until mid-March at the earliest.

LAST-DITCH talks were due to continue today in an attempt to salvage fading hopes of a new national wage agreement.

The employers' body IBEC has said it does not expect any forward movement in talks with the Irish Congress of Trade Unions which were reconvened today.

THE country faces a wave of bitter industrial disputes as hopes of a national wage deal were dealt a hammer blow last night.

WORKERS face a pay freeze of up to a year as Finance Minister Charlie McCreevy said the boom is finally over.

Kyran Fitzgerald reports on the upcoming pay agreement talks

EMPLOYERS’ group IBEC yesterday launched its €500,000 campaign to promote a Yes vote in the Nice Treaty referendum and said a repeat of last year’s rejection would isolate us in Europe.

The Government will have to do more to address our appalling road network if Irish business wishes to remain competitive, according to the employers' body, IBEC.