Consider this under reported story from the Irish Independent,entitled 'Central Bank steps up its cash support to Irish banks financed by institution printing own money.' Here's the key part: The Irish Independent learnt last night that the Central Bank of Ireland is financing €51bn of an emergency loan programme by printing its own money. The figures also provide the latest ev...

According to Allison Bray writing in the Irish Independent the smoking rate in Ireland has soared despite the Irish smoking ban. Despite hikes in tobacco tax, the smoking ban and a new law against the public display of cigarettes for sale, the number of smokers has steadily risen since 2007 when 29pc of the population smoked. The survey, which was conducted between March and September, revealed th...

Over the weekend the Irish government has denied speculation that it may seek a bailout from the EU as its borrowing costs continue to rise. However, the Irish Independent today reports that Ireland's Finance Minister Brian Lenihan may ask his counterparts in Brussels tomorrow if it would be possible for the banking sector alone, rather than the state as a whole, to access emergency funds.

Fears over Ireland’s public finances are continuing with Ernst & Young predicting that the country’s public deficit will remain the highest in the eurozone until 2014 at the earliest, according to the Irish Independent. The news comes as the Irish government has announced that the cost of its banking bail-out will rise to €50 billion, Bloomberg reports.

The Irish Independent reports that the Commission is planning to table a proposal for a common corporate tax base in the EU. The Irish Times quotes a draft Commission document, which reads: “The Commission will take steps to improve the co-ordination of national tax policies, notably by proposing a directive introducing the common consolidated corporate tax base”.

In an analysis piece in the Irish Independent, Bruce Arnold argues that the Irish government’s White Paper on the Lisbon Treaty, which claims to explain Lisbon and the Irish ‘guarantees’ in a “fair and factual manner”, “is a flawed document, containing some serious distortion of fact.

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen has given Foreign Affairs Minister Micheál Martin the job of leading the campaign for a Yes vote in the second Lisbon Treaty referendum in October. The Irish Independent reports that Martin is already embroiled in a “blazing row” over his plan to send out postcards costing €220,000 to every household in Ireland, giving an update on the Lisbo...

EU leaders are meeting today in Brussels to thrash out the details of the ‘deal’ to be offered to Ireland in return for a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty. Open Europe’s debate at The Centre in Brussels yesterday on the nature of the ‘guarantees’ being discussed is reported in the Irish Independent and the Irish Times.

The Irish Independent reports that Ireland is likely to face opposition from the UK over the nature of the ‘guarantees’ offered to Ireland in exchange for a second referendum on the Lisbon Treaty at the EU Council meeting today and tomorrow. The British are reportedly demanding changes to the wording of the draft copy of the ‘guarantees’, with the UK Prime Minister’s ...

The Irish Independent reports that negotiations on Irish ‘guarantees’ on the Lisbon Treaty are expected to go “to the wire” at tomorrow's EU summit. There is still no political agreement on the legal form the ‘guarantees’ will take with Britain, Poland and the Netherlands opposing any solution which will require ratifying a protocol with the ‘guarante...