The EU has approved Ireland's 2016 Budget, but it has warned that it could be too expansionary - this has prompted Michael Noonan to promise that he will keep a "tight control" on spending.
While the government's plans are "broadly compliant" with EU rules, the European Commission has expressed reservations about the level of spending promised in supplementary estimates.
"The additional spending goes on top of the tax cuts and spending increases included in the 2015 budget," EU officials said in a staff note.
The policies outlined in the supplementary estimates brought the size of Ireland's pre-election giveaway to close to €3bn.
______________________________________________________
AIB's share price fell by 20.5% yesterday after the bank announced plans to consolidate the number of its shares in circulation, by offering 1 share for every 250 currently held by investors.
This is part of a broader capital reorganisation as the bank plans a stock market re-floatation.
The share consolidation will reduce the number of AIB shares in circulation from 523 billion to 2.7 billion.
______________________________________________________
The euro and the dollar continue to creep closer to parity - €1 currently buys $1.06.
It strengthened after the release of fresh data which showed an increase in inflation, as prices rose in October after two months of declines.
Factory output also increased in October - again this was a turnaround from two months of declines.
These indicators will be considered as the Federal Reserve meets to decide if it will increase interest rates in December.
______________________________________________________
50 new tech jobs are on the way for Dublin.
Huawei is opening a new Research and Development office in the Digital Docklands at the IFSC.
The jobs will be created during the next 12 months and will bring the company's Irish workforce to 120.
______________________________________________________
Tech firm, Digital reality has announced that it will invest €150m in expanding its data centre in west Dublin.
This will double the size of its current 10,000 square foot facility.
Digital Reality stores and backs-up data for 600 firms across the world, it says that its current Irish facility is fully occupied.
