Difficulties for PTSB, Bank of Ireland to cut jobs and Smyths’ toy story

The European Central Bank (ECB) has made it more difficult for Permanent TSB (PTSB) to pull the sale of €900 million of split mortgages. In a letter sent to to Sinn Fein MEP Matt Carthy this week, the head of the ECB's banking supervision arm, Daniele Nouy, outlined how banks could only reclassify split mortgages, where repayments on part of a loan are put in ice until a future date, under a series of strict conditions. Joe Brennan reports.

Bank of Ireland is set to close its 27 back office service centres around the country, affecting 420 employees as their activities are centralised and a number of temporary projects conducted at the locations draw to an end, writes Joe Brennan.

It's a long way from Claremorris to Cologne. But we shouldn't have to wait too long to find out how the Smyth toy-retailing family intends bridging it. Caveat looks at Smyths' toy story.

CRH's chief executive, Albert Manifold, has said the building materials giant's prized "investment-grade" credit rating is safe, even as it plans to spend up to €2 billion over the next year buying back shares and doing small bolt-on acquisitions, writes Joe Brennan.

International Paper says it has options of Smurfit deal doesn’t work out

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Six Irish universities win research innovation awards

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Bank of Ireland to close service centres that employ 420

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Single workers bear brunt in Ireland’s personal tax system

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"The emotion over the issue of banker bonuses can be understood, given the hardships that people faced during the crisis - and many still feel". Joe Brennan examines the vexed question of AIB bankers and bonuses while Mark Paul listens to the worries of the DAA over Dublin Airport's new runway.

Laura Slattery meets advertising "underdog" Neal Davies, chief executive of BBDO Dublin. Laura also takes a wry look at the business week in Planet Business: from Titanic memorabilia to the Manchego cheese war.

Olive Keogh tells us how technology integrates people with disabilities into the workplace while Kieran Conroy has four key lessons for Irish subsidiaries of US companies.

John FitzGerald draws parallels between our current Brexit travails and the negotiation of the first free trade agreement between the Republic and Britain in 1965.

In Wild Geese, John Keogh of John Keo Walking Tours on how he ended up walking for a living in Spain.

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