Banks and the shared-equity housing scheme, mortgage approvals and financial engineering

The Central Bank will formally decide in November on whether the banks can participate in the Government's proposed shared-equity housing scheme. In a letter to Sinn Féin's housing spokesman Eoin Ó Broin, the regulator confirmed that it was considering "the interaction" between its mortgage rules and the Government's proposed scheme. Eoin Burke-Kennedy has the details.

Mortgage approvals fell more than 9 per cent in August following a record high in July, but continued to show growth year on year, new data from Banking & Payments Federation Ireland, writes Ciara O'Brien.

Are the Central Bank's mortgage rules reining in the price of homes or fuelling the crisis? Joe Brennan goes in search of the answers.

Derek Keys, co-founder with his brothers of Dromore, Co Tyrone-based Euro Auctions, has been selected as The Irish Times Business Person of the month for August, an award run in association with Bank of Ireland.

Tech sector accounts for more than one in seven Northern Irish jobs

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Varadkar promises ‘pandemic dividend’ for workers

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ECB finds Irish companies among least exposed to climate change risks

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Citywest Hotel to remain closed to guests this year as HSE deal is extended

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There were no planeloads of foreign tourists waiting to touch down in Dublin the moment restrictions were eased, writes Mark Paul in Caveat. It will take a long time to build the numbers back up again, as well as plenty of aviation subsidies, marketing splurges and good old-fashioned hustling.

The last financial crisis taught us some of the risks to the economy when "financial engineering" gets out of hand, argues John FitzGerald in his weekly column. Property developers had borrowed nearly all of their capital from the banks and builders also relied on the banks for most of their working capital.

Savvy employers have recognised that prising employees away from the comforts of working from home may take some doing, writes Olive Keogh. This is why some are going all out to tempt returnees with perks such as cash bonuses, free lunches and office makeovers.

In Wild Geese Irish scientist Cathal O'Connell says Melbourne has great music venues, pubs, theatres and it's fantastic for families.

Inside Business podcast:As staff being the return to the workplace this week, Ciarán Hancock hears about new research being carried out at the University of Limerick exploring attitudes to work, including the so-called "Great Resignation" sparked by the pandemic.

Plus: With the pressure on to fall into line with the OECD, the language Irish politicians are using about the 12.5 per cent corporate tax rate has shifted. Is the way being cleared for a change in Ireland’s corporation tax regime? Ciarán talks to Cliff Taylor and PwC’s Feargal O’Rourke.

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