Professor of Accounting at UCD, Eamonn Walsh told Deputy Pearse Doherty that using today’s standards Anglo would still appear as if it were on course for a profit of almost half a million euro, the Independent reported. “There has been no change in standards so one could reach much the same conclusion today as one would have reached in 2008”, he added. The inquiry has also heard how inaction by both the Central Bank and the Banking Regulator had resulted in “costly failure” and how political bias may have unduly influenced the decision to bring in the Bank Guarantee.

Shareholders in technology developer Altobridge say that questions remain to be answered over the decision to place it in receivership last year, the Irish Times reported. Intel Capital and the World Bank appointed a receiver to Altobridge last year on foot of a secured debt in a move that resulted in the loss of 45 jobs at its base in Tralee, Co Kerry and a further 85 in its offices outside Ireland. The exchequer footed the bill for the Irish workers’ statutory redundancy payments, which came to more than €270,000, through the Department of Social Protection.

Ulster Bank was not aware of an alleged £25-30 million black hole in one-time property giant Taggart Group’s finances, the High Court heard Thursday, the Irish Times reported. A senior banker who was part of the firm’s relationship management team claimed information that emerged later showed it was not a well-run business. Richard Ennis was giving evidence as part of the bank’s multi-million pound legal battle with former housebuilding tycoons Michael and John Taggart.

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan has dismissed comments made by the former IMF chief of mission to Ireland, that the Irish government blew an opportunity to get a debt writedown deal. Ashoka Mody, the former IMF mission chief, said Ireland should have gotten a superior deal in 2011, the Irish Times reported. Speaking on Newstalk’s Lunchtime programme Monday, Mr Mody said Ireland had its opportunity.

Ireland will insist that any new or better deal secured by Greece will also apply to Ireland, Minister for Agriculture Simon Coveney has said, the Irish Times reported. Greek prime minister Alexis Tsipras yesterday ruled out requesting an extension of the Greek bailout when meeting his European counterparts at a summit in Brussels this week. Rather than an extension of the bailout when it expires on February 28th, Mr Tsipras reiterated his demand for a bridge programme to tide the country over until June, when a more long-standing loan arrangement can be established.

The Pensions Authority has obtained a High Court order allowing it to replace a company managing some 180 pension schemes, involving €80 million, following concerns about the finances of the firm, the Irish Times reported. Trustee Principles Ltd will take over the schemes from Source Pensions Administration and Trustee Company for a year, the court heard. Source Pensions is also not to act as a trustee for another five years unless it makes an application to the court. The court heard an investigation started by the authority is ongoing.

The Department of Finance has informed the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee that Irish banks will not now pay into a domestic special resolution fund set up in 2011 to provide bailouts to credit institutions that run into financial difficulties, the Irish Times reported. Only credit unions will contribute to the fund, which was started with a €250 million payment from the State in December 2011, according to correspondence posted on the PAC’s website.

Former Anglo Irish Bank chief executive David Drumm has asked a US court for more time to outline his reasons why it should overturn a bankruptcy judge’s ruling blocking a write-off of his debts, the Irish Times reported. Mr Drumm lodged papers in the US District Court in Massachusetts saying that a February 9th deadline was too soon to file an opening brief outlining why he is seeking to overturn the ruling by bankruptcy judge Frank Bailey denying him a discharge.

The main representative body for Irish banks has welcomed the Central Bank’s decision to ease its proposals on loan-to-value (LTV) mortgage limits for first-time buyers but cautioned it could have an impact on house building, the Irish Times reported. “While a 90 per cent loan to value for first-time buyers on the first €220,000 value of a property is welcome, the extent to which this will effectively accommodate first-time buyers, particularly in urban areas, is uncertain,” Banking & Payments Federation Ireland said.

Fears that thousands of homeowners are facing repossession ahead of an election has prompted Taoiseach Enda Kenny to call in the head of the State Insolvency Service for a meeting on Wednesday. There is concern in Government that few debt deals between banks and homeowners are being done, leaving those in arrears vulnerable to having their homes taken from them, Independent.ie reported. Some 30,000 homeowners have received letters from their banks threatening repossession. These arrears cases could end up swamping the courts just as an election is called, in 2016.