The jobs recovery stalled in July, as the the rate of unemployment remained unchanged at 9.7 per cent, while youth unemployment rose slightly during the month, up to 20.2 per cent, the Irish Times reported. According to figures from the Central Statistics Office released on Wednesday, the unemployment rate was unchanged in July, with some 208,900 people without a job, up by 300 on June, but down by 32,400 on July 2014. At 9.7 per cent, this is the lowest rate since January 2009 but is the third consecutive month of no change in the unemployment rate.

State-owned train operator Irish Rail (Iarnród Éireann) is likely to face bankruptcy if it loses the right to run services as a result of proposed changes to the way the EU rail sector is run, the Government has warned, the Irish Times reported. Iarnród Éireann’s contract for operating train services is due to expire in 2019 and the EU Commission has been pressing for changes which would see the sector opened up to tenders from competitors.

Hundreds of thousands of mortgage holders are set to lose a key tax relief on their monthly repayments, the Irish Times reported. According to figures provided by Minister for Finance Michael Noonan, some 325,000 mortgage holders will lose the relief, which is €850 per annum on average, when it is phased out by the end of 2017. The relief on mortgage interest expired in 2009 for people who started paying their mortgage in 2003 or earlier, while those who took out a mortage between January 2004 and the end of december 2012 the entitlement for relief ends on December 31st, 2017.

Bookmaker Ladbrokes is to retain 144 shops nationwide and continue to employ over 700 people in Ireland following the High Court’s approval of its rescue plan on Tuesday, the Irish Times reported. The UK bookmaker, which entered the examinership process in April in order to restructure the business, will now close 52 of its 196 outlets while about 90 people will leave the business as a result of a voluntary redundancy scheme.

Priory Hall developer Thomas McFeely will contest an application to extend his bankruptcy by five years, the Irish Times reported. The application has been brought on grounds including his alleged failure to disclose all his assets, the High Court has heard. Mr McFeely (67) was adjudicated bankrupt in Ireland in July 2012 and his bankruptcy is due to expire on Thursday, July 30th this year.

Property developer Joe O’Reilly expects his personal and group loans, which total more than €2 billion, will be sold by Nama for a multiple of what the agency paid for them, the Irish Times reported. Mr O’Reilly told the banking inquiry he had personal and corporate loans totalling about €2 billion from the guaranteed banks in September 2008 and he believed all this money would be repaid. He said he expected the principal of his personal and corporate loans to be fully repaid when the loans are sold as part of Nama’s so-called Project Jewel sale, currently under way.

An interim examiner has been appointed by the High Court to Mothercare Ireland, which employs 276 people in 18 shops across the State, the Irish Times reported. The aim of seeking court protection and examinership is to achieve a restructuring of the company, save as many jobs as possible and minimise shop closures, the company said. It cannot afford to support unprofitable stores, it added. The firm said it will trade as normal during the examinership process, staff and suppliers will be paid as normal and all gift cards and family card points will be honoured.

The main Irish banks have been upgraded by Standard & Poors, with Bank of Ireland being raised to investment grade, the Irish Times reported. The ratings agency has said preprovision profitability for Irish banks has improved on the back of expanding net interest margins and that it expects the sector’s shift to lower risk and a stable competitive landscape to be enduring.

The wife of bankrupt developer Sean Dunne wants orders permitting her lawyers to cross-examine a US lawyer about his sworn statements in support of Irish proceedings challenging the validity of transfers of valuable assets by Mr Dunne to his wife the Irish Times reported. The Commercial Court will later this month hear Gayle Dunne’s application for orders permitting the cross-examination of Timothy Miltenberger, who has sworn affidavits on behalf of Richard Coan, the US trustee administering Sean Dunne’s US bankruptcy.

The company that previously held the Irish franchise for the Iceland chain of grocery stores will apply to the High Court next Monday for an examiner to be appointed to give it protection from its creditors, the Irish Times reported. ACCHL, previously known as Aim Cash & Carry, recorded a collapse in its revenues after Iceland took back the franchise and bought Aim’s seven stores in late 2013. Iceland subsequently announced a plan to open 50 stores here under its own management.