The trial of four senior bankers has heard that Irish Life and Permanent stopped a €3 billion transfer from Anglo in December 2008 because of a fear over “reputational damage”, the Irish Times reported. Former Irish Life and Permanent (ILP) CEO Denis Casey and Anglo’s former head of finance Willie McAteer and two others are accused of conspiring to mislead investors by using interbank loans to make Anglo appear €7.2 billion more valuable than it was. Mr McAteer (65) of Greenrath, Tipperary Town, Co.

Irish homeowners continue to pay above the odds for their mortgage borrowings and are being under-compensated for their deposits, new figures from the Central Bank show. Yes, despite another fall in variable mortgage rates in December, Irish homeowners are paying an average new business rate of 3.76 per cent on their mortgage. This compares with an average rate for the Euro area of just 1.99 per cent, with homeowners in Luxembourg for example, paying an average rate of just 1.76 per cent.

A number of developer Seamus Ross’s Menolly Homes group companies look set to be placed in liquidation at a creditors’ meetings today, the Irish Times reported. Mr Ross was one of the most active housebuilders in Dublin, through the Menolly Homes group, over the last decade. Last December he became one of the well-known developers to exit Nama when Cardinal Capital refinanced the final part of his group’s debts.

Irish household debt continued to fall in the third quarter of 2015, reaching its lowest level since the early months of 2006, new data from the Central Bank has revealed. The figures showed debt declined to €151.2 billion, or €32,614 per capita, for the three month period, down €2.1 billion or 1.3 per cent overall from the preceding quarter, the Irish Times reported. This was partly due to continued repayments, write-offs and reclassifications, with repayments at their lowest level since the first quarter of 2010.

A legal dispute has arisen between Danske Bank and the liquidator of Bloxham stockbrokers over the remaining assets of the firm, which include €4 million from the sale of its client book to rival firm Davy, the Irish Times reported. Bloxham was wound up in 2012 following the discovery of financial irregulatories. Danske claims to have a floating charge on the firm’s assets through some €34 million in loans lent to former partners and the brokerage itself by National Irish Bank, which was later acquired by Danske.

Fianna Fáil has said it will “examine the feasibility” of EBS being demerged from AIB and sold separately as a standalone mortgage player. The move would be targeted at stimulating competition for home loans and savings products, the Irish Times reported. The party’s economic strategy document for the general elections said this would “acknowledge the fact that the loss of the building societies [since the 2008 financial crash] has had a long-term negative impact on the mortgage market”.

The rescheduled extradition hearing at which former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive, David Drumm, is now expected to agree to return to the State from the US is set to take place in Boston late on Thursday, the Irish Times reported. He had been due in court on Monday, but bad weather forced the hearing’s postponement. On Tuesday, it was rescheduled to begin at 8pm Irish time on Thursday. The State is seeking his extradition to face 33 charges arising from transactions carried out during his time at Anglo, which he led in the period before its collapse in 2009.

Debt judgments registered against businesses in Ireland fell by 8 per cent in 2015, the fourth consecutive year in which there has been a decline, the Irish Times reported. New figures compiled by the non-profit organisation Registry Trust shows there were 1,062 judgments against Irish businesses last year with the number of judgments against incorporated firms falling 17 per cent to 578. However, the latest figures show a 7 per cent rise in judgments against unincorporated businesses to 484.

Irish titanium and zircon miner Kenmare Resources has defaulted on its debts after failing to reach agreement with lenders on a new deleveraging plan by an agreed deadline of January 31st. The explorer said however, negotiations with banks on a deal are ongoing, the Irish Times reported. At the end of December, bank loans amounted to $341.9 million and cash and cash equivalents were $14.3 million. Lenders agreed to defer payment of $2.3 million in fees last April.

The builders challenging plans of the National Asset Management Agency (Nama) to construct 20,000 homes have broadened their complaint to include the body’s involvement in commercial development, the Irish Times reported. Five builders have complained to the European Union competition directorate that the Government’s proposal that Nama fund the building of 20,000 homes as part of a plan to tackle the housing crisis is illegal State aid. It is understood the companies have also raised concerns with Brussels officials about the State agency’s involvement in office developments.