DUBLIN PORT FIGURES SIGNAL TRADE RECOVERY - There is a good economic story today in figures from Dublin Port. They show that throughput in tonnes increased by 13% last month compared with March last year. Exports, at more than one million tonnes, were 23% higher, and imports grew by 7.3%.
Enda Connellan, Dublin Port's chief executive, says the figures show that exports are leading an economic recovery, helped by a pick-up in the main export markets.
Mr Connellan said pharmaceuticals, medical equipment and IT were the main areas of export growth. But he said growth in imports was also encouraging as it indicated a recovery in consumer confidence.
Asked about ferry traffic, he said the number of passengers at the port was up threefold during the disruption to air traffic caused by the Icelandic volcano ash, with an even bigger increase in foot passengers.
Mr Connellan said the company was 'quietly confident' that the strong growth would continue for the rest of the year.
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NEWS AND CURRENCIES - Lloyds Banking Group, which owns Halifax and Bank of Scotland Ireland, has said a high level of loan losses in Ireland, mainly due to commercial property lending, continued in the first three months of this year. Lloyds .
In a trading statement, however, it said the level of losses in the first quarter of this year was lower than in the previous three months. Lloyds, which owns Bank of Scotland Ireland, said it believed it was 'past the peak' of loan losses in Ireland.
The euro is trading at $1.3376 and 86.55p sterling.
