Bank staff in line for euro windfall

Allied Irish Bank, Ireland’s biggest banking group, is to pay its employees special bonuses and extra overtime for dealing with the changeover to the euro on January 1.

In a move certain to concern other employers, 4,500 AIB staff will get one-off payments of as much as £750 - and a 30% increase in normal overtime rates from December 27 to January 7 while the common European currency takes over from Ireland’s punt.