Ireland
Irish central bank warns of ‘negative and material’ impact from Brexit
Quarterly bulletin discusses channels through which UK vote to leave EU will affect Ireland; economy expected to grow by 4.9% this year and 3.7% next
Irish central bankers take first look at effectiveness of macroprudential housing policies
Ireland’s central bank publishes examination of its first full year of operating macroprudential measures affecting the housing market; compares data on borrowers subject and free from limits
Ratings agency fined €1.38 million by Esma for regulatory breaches
The European Securities and Markets Authority fines Fitch for improper discussions of information and mishandling timing of Slovenia’s sovereign downgrade
Irish central bank announces new protections for mortgage borrowers
Variable-rate housing loan borrowers must be informed of cheaper alternative mortgages and have rate rises explained to them by lenders
Irish paper proposes three-phase model of volatility in bond markets
Irish paper finds ‘good’, ‘bad’ and ‘ugly’ phases in eurozone sovereign debt markets from 2003 to 2014; crisis not caused by changes to the shock mechanism, but by pre-existing cross-country links
Central Bank of Ireland to form analytical teams to improve ‘data architecture’
Governor Philip Lane encourages regulators to “embrace” technological advances, while stressing the balance between innovation and consumer protection
Irish banks prepared for Brexit but face material effects, deputy says
Effects on profitability and business models could be ‘material’ if UK votes to leave EU, Irish deputy warns, though central bank is satisfied with short-term contingency planning
Irish bad bank shifts focus to delivering new property
National Asset Management Agency is shifting its focus to projects aimed at developing commercial and residential property; asset disposals to be reduced in scale as body winds down
Irish deputy defends macroprudential policies
Sharon Donnery says macroprudential housing policies would have limited Ireland’s financial crisis; leaked parliamentary report calls for bank to ‘urgently’ review measures
Regulators must improve co-operation in monitoring shadow banks – Irish governor
Regulators must develop better systems for managing and sharing information on shadow banks, Ireland’s central bank governor says; better understanding of “geography of risk” needed
ECB to conduct comprehensive assessment of four more banks
European Central Bank is assessing four banks it may come to directly supervise; supervision fees charged to European banks set to rise over 45% in 2016
EC urged to target initial margin for CCP recovery
Irish central banker says haircuts should be seen as temporary loans to CCPs in a crisis
Irish insurance firms face more scrutiny, supervisor says
Irish central bank’s director of insurance supervision outlines new regime; firms will have to provide more evidence to back up their claims
Irish central bank begins publishing commission minutes
Ireland’s central bank starts publishing minutes from commission meetings; oversight body’s minutes will be released ‘to provide greater understanding’ of internal debates
Irish central bank’s consumer protection plan focuses on firms’ culture
Central Bank of Ireland unveils priorities for protecting consumers of financial services in 2016; focal points include firms’ culture, with more on-site inspections promised
Irish credit unions still face challenges, regulator says
Ireland’s credit union sector faces ‘significant challenges’ despite recent improvements, with numbers of institutions under loan restrictions ‘far too high’, central bank regulator says
Tensions rise between Irish trade union and central bank over staff structure
Trade union says it will ballot members over strike action unless the central bank consults it over changes to staffing and salary structures; bank says a discussion will ‘commence in near term’
People: Ireland appoints first female deputy governor; Sri Lanka also names deputy
Irish central bank appoints first female deputy governor; Sri Lanka appoints deputy; change in leadership at Chinese foreign exchange regulator; and more
Parliamentary enquiry criticises Irish central bank
The Central Bank of Ireland failed to address issues in the country’s banking sector with its ‘light touch’ regulation, an Irish parliamentary report finds
Research analyses Irish banks’ connections to global financial system
An article in the latest Central Bank of Ireland quarterly bulletin maps the networks formed by Irish banks’ connections to each other and to the global financial system
Lane reveals string of transparency initiatives in first speech as Irish governor
Central Bank of Ireland discloses new details on salary structures as governor Lane reveals new minutes, reviews and website
Central Bank of the Year: Central Bank of Ireland
Well-capitalised banks, new supervision measures and timely macro-prudential policy action to cool an overheated property sector have gone far to restoring the Central Bank of Ireland's credibility
Irish central bank may help fund ‘comprehensive’ database of commercial real estate
Central Bank of Ireland may help fund the creation of a commercial property statistical system, which would be maintained by Central Statistics Office
Honohan pressed on Irish staff and salary reforms in final days of office
A senior minister in the Irish government and the outgoing governor of the country’s central bank exchange letters on proposed changes and existing retention pay