Pressure mounts on junior minister

John Perry will face further pressure over the coming days to resign as minister of state with responsibility for small business after it emerged that much of his own businesses and property interests have been seized by Danske Bank.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny and the Fine Gael party declined to comment on his position after the bank installed a receiver over a number of his assets in Sligo, in its battle over the junior minister’s outstanding loans totalling 2.4m.

Mr Perry has resisted opposition calls for his resignation since details of his personal debts and financial arrangements began to emerge in recent weeks. But there is a growing belief among his party colleagues that he will not survive as junior minister beyond the autumn.