In short

A roundup of today's other stories in brief.

Aer Lingus talks continue over weekend

Talks between Aer Lingus and its trade unions are set to continue into tomorrow as the Labour Court seeks to broker a deal that will avoid industrial action.

The two sides were involved in more than eight hours of talks yesterday. Neither side would comment on whether progress had been made.

Aer Lingus is expected to attend the Labour Court today for further discussions, with union representatives due to resume talks tomorrow.

The Labour Court is expected to issue its recommendation at about midday on Monday. Both sides said they were hopeful of a resolution.

The dispute relates to the introduction of new contracts by Aer Lingus that reduce the terms and conditions of existing staff at the airline.

Keelings staff vote for industrial action

Staff at the Keelings distribution depot in Ballymun, which supplies fruit and vegetables and other chilled products to Tesco stores in Ireland, have voted in favour of industrial action.

Siptu, which represents about 375 staff at the Keelings depot, is in dispute with management over recruitment of agency staff, the company's absenteeism policy and certain security issues. The union said 84 per cent of those who cast a ballot voted in favour of industrial action.

Gallaher's share of cigarette market up

Gallaher Group, the maker of Benson & Hedges and Silk Cut cigarettes, reported a marginal increase in its share of the Irish market last year, boosted by the introduction of Benson & Hedges Silver.

Overall, the total cigarette market in the Republic increased by 0.2 per cent, while Gallaher's share of that market rose to 49.1 per cent. The company declined to strip out figures for the Republic, but said that strong sales and price increases in the region had contributed to the growth in European revenue.

Sales in Europe grew by 2.5 per cent to £3.9 billion (€5.75 billion), while profit from operations was 5.6 per cent ahead at £247 million. Worldwide sales increased 5 per cent to £8.4 billion, while pretax profit was up 9.6 per cent at £565 million.

The company, which employs about 1,100 people in Ireland, is being taken over by Japan Tobacco.

Bristol & West securitisation

Bank of Ireland yesterday said it had successfully launched and priced a £5.5 billion (€8.1 billion) securitisation of the residential mortgage book of its Bristol & West subsidiary.

Victor Chandler opens Cork outlet

Bookmaker Victor Chandler opened its second Irish betting shop yesterday.

Victor Chandler, which operates mainly online and on course in Ireland and Britain, has invested €400,000 in an outlet in Douglas, Cork.

The bookmaker launched an Irish business, VCbet.ie, in 2004, and followed that up by opening an outlet on Baggot Street, Dublin.

Its betting shops are focused on the luxury end of the business.

Quinlan Private

A report in yesterday's Business This Week stated that Nicholas Gallagher was a former director of Quinlan Private, the property and investment advisory group.

We have been asked to clarify that Mr Gallagher was in fact a non-executive director of Powerscourt Capital Partners, a group that was taken over by Quinlan Private in early 2004. Mr Gallagher was never a director of Quinlan Private.