The Greek debt crisis rolls on - the country will fail to make today's €300m repayment to the IMF, instead all June's €1.6bn due to the institution is to be repaid at the end of the month.
In a statement released last night, IMF Chief Spokesman Gerry Rice, said "the Greek authorities have informed the Fund that they plan to bundle the country’s four June payments into one, which is now due on the 30th of June."
Greek PM Alexis Tsipras will brief his cabinet today on the bailout discussions, and address the parliament in Athens. He is due to meet European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker tomorrow.
Today's move means that June 30th is effectively the new deadline for Greece to secure a new deal with its international creditors.
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The FAI and its Chief Executive, John Delaney have made international headlines after Mr Delaney revealed that the Irish association was paid €5m during the fallout of Ireland's controversial World Cup playoff defeat to France in 2009.
FAI accounts make no reference to the payment - it may have been added to operating income with no note attached to explain the payment. In contrast, much smaller one-off payments like a grant of €2,600 from the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs in 2011 do warrant special mentions.
Speaking on RTE radio, the Chief Executive said, "We came to an agreement. That was a Thursday and on the Monday the agreement was all signed and all done. It was a good agreement for the FAI, a very legitimate agreement for the FAI."
FIFA has described the €5m payment as a loan, which was subsequently written off at the end of last year when Ireland failed to qualify for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil.
Outgoing FIFA Vice-President Jim Boyce says if the payment was authorised without the knowledge of the FIFA executive committee it needs to be investigated.
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Taoiseach Enda Kenny has defended Ireland's corporate tax regime at the Grant Thornton Worldwide Tax Conference in Dublin.
One of the key themes of the conference was how best to deal with "profit shifting" by global companies who more money around the world to reduce their corporate tax liability. Mr Kenny said, "Ireland will play fair - but we will play to win."
Ireland has moved to close the controversial 'Double Irish' tax loophole - but is drawing legislation to develop a 'Knowledge Development Box' - which would offer companies a lower tax rate on profits gained through the development of new intellectual properties.
The European Commission is currently examining Apple's tax payments in Ireland - speaking yesterday EU Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager said that she "will be seeking to conclude shortly" the Irish investigation - a ruling is expected in the third quarter of 2015.
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Fingal County Council has granted planning approval for the section of a proposed new 14km underground fuel pipeline connecting Dublin Port with Dublin Airport.
But about three quarters of the pipeline would run through the jurisdiction of Dublin City Council and that local authority is seeking additional information about the proposal before making a decision.
According to the two companies behind the proposal, Fingleton White, a Portlaoise-based engineering firm and Dublin-based Reynolds Logistics, the new pipeline would significantly reduce tanker traffic between the port and the airport – 15,000 separate tanker journeys are currently made every year.
The pipeline, which would take nearly a year to install, has raised safety and traffic disruption concerns on the part of some residents’ groups.
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Shares in Royal Mail fell by nearly 5 percent yesterday as the UK’s Conservative Government announced it would sell its remaining 30 percent stake in the formerly State-owned postal service.
At current prices, the British Exchequer would raise £1.5bn from the sell-off which it plans to use as part of a £4.5bn debt reduction plan.
The Royal Mail was part privatised two years ago at a flotation price of 330p and rose nearly 40 percent in its first day’s trading, prompting criticism that the Government had sold its stake too cheaply. The shares closed at 526p last night.
