The Irish stock market ended slightly weaker as international markets reacted with disappointment to Japan's perceived failure to come up with a concrete economic rescue plan.

Traders said markets, which had been buoyed by joint US Japan intervention in support of the yen last week, had wanted to see some action from Japan at the weekend meeting between G7 and Asian countries in Tokyo.

Despite urging Japan to fix and open up its ailing economy, the meeting failed to set out a definite plan of action, sending the yen and most Asian stock indices lurching downward yesterday.

Hong Kong led the stock market losers, with the Hang Seng Index tumbling more than 4 per cent while stocks in Malaysia, Singapore and Thailand each lost more than 2 per cent.

European markets also drifted lower while Wall Street opened slightly weaker as concern over Asia persisted.

"There is still a lot of uncertainty regarding the Far East. There are a number of questions about what Japan is going to do about its economy," one Dublin dealer said. "The fact that it's the middle of summer isn't helping volumes either."

The leading Irish stocks were mixed with AIB up 6p at 975p, Bank of Ireland down 3p at 1332p and CRH 4.5p lower at 1020.5p. Irish Permanent was down 5p at 825p while Irish Life shed 15p to 620p. The company announced it had granted chief executive Mr David Went 2,748 options to be exercised at a price of 612p between June 17th, 2001 and June 17th, 2008, under a savings-related share scheme.

Greencore gained a penny to 370p while Smurfit was unchanged at 220p and Waterford Wedgewood edged down 1p to 101p.

Dealers said activity in secondline stocks was very subdued. Among the movers were IWP, down 10p at 440p, Kingspan which shed 5p to 290p and Marl- borough, off 5p at 345p.