STATE OF PLAY

POLITICAL pressure on the Government will ratchet up today when the Dáil resumes after its 12-week summer break for one of the most crucial sessions in its history.

Taoiseach Brian Cowen, already under fire over accusations he was hung-over during a radio interview, will face opposition questions for the first time in almost three months as the administration’s – and Ireland’s – woes continue to mount.

The premium charged by investors to lend to Ireland rose at one point yesterday to 6.78%, 4.5% higher than the equivalent German rate, after rating agency Standard & Poor’s said the final cost of the Anglo Irish Bank bailout could exceed its previous estimate of €35 billion.