FINANCE UNION CALLS FOR INDUSTRY FORUM - The Irish Bank Officials Association says the country needs to properly discuss the future of Irish banking involving government, the banks and the staff.
The association's general secretary Larry Broderick, says the crisis enveloping the Northern Rock had everyone worrying about depositors money and everyone worrying about the health of the financial system.
He says banking is about trust and confidence and there is a need for a forum to include all the stakeholders in the industry.
He was alarmed at the customers outside Northern Rock saying they had no confidence in the chancellor, the bank or the system.
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MUSGRAVE GETS ACCOLADE FOR ECO HQ - The Musgrave Group, which owns Centra and Supervalue and is the country's largest grocery distributor, last night has won the 2007 Chambers Ireland overall award for corporate social responsibility for its new 2,000 square metre eco-friendly head office on Cork's Airport Road.
The building uses geothermal energy and that says Musgrabes will shave up to €30,000 a year off its energy bills which the company says will more than offset the 7% extra in building costs in extra environmental measures.
RTE's campaign on road safety last year, led by Charlie Bird, took the award for the best community-based project by a large indigenous company.
Musgrave's environmental executive John Curran said the building had geo-thermal heating and intelligent lighting with the result that it has a zero carbon impact.
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NEWS IN BRIEF - Science company, Enfer Group, is creating 120 new jobs with the opening by the Taoiseach of a new headquarters and research laboratory in the M7 business park in Naas, Kildare later today. The Enfer Group is best known for its work on detecting BSE in cattle and scrapie in sheep and its diagnostics are used around the world. The new jobs will double the workforce.
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MARKETS - On the markets and in New York, the Dow Jones finished up 0.7% and the Nasdaq was 0.5% higher.
Asia trade was also lifted. There the Japanese Nikkei ended up 2.4% at 16,832 while in Hong Kong the Hang Seng is currently more than 2% higher.
On the currencies the euro, which has gained 4% in value against the US dollar so far this month, is worth €1.4136 and 70.1 pence sterling.
