Out of Office: Banking, banking and more banking

Welcome to the Business Post’s Out of Office, your round-up of the day’s business, tech, markets, legal and politics news.

Banking dominated the agenda at Business Post HQ on Thursday, with our writers busy writing and analysing the latest developments in the world of lending.

First to the UK, where the Bank of England decided to hold interest rates at 5.25 per cent. The decision is itself was unsurprising, but what was new was the attitude of Andrew Bailey, the regulator’s governor, who seemed optimistic that with consistency, the UK economy can look forward to more “normal” conditions soon.

Dominic McGrath recaps the day’s events.

Onto a different regulator, Philip Lane, the Irishman serving as the chief economist at the European Central Bank, has warned the government of an exodus of Irish staff from the institution due to a looming wave of retirements. For more on that story and why it matters, Daniel Murray reports.

In Irish banking, Eoin O’Hare and Kathleen Gallagher have been analysing recent developments at two of the three pillar lenders - PTSB and AIB. They are must reads.

Analysis: ‘Not much fat’ on Irish banks but takeover appeal may still linger for right suitor

Analysis: Dip in PTSB’s share of mortgage lending has its roots in 2022 rate moves

UL continued to make headlines, with delegates from the embattled university appearing in front of the Public Accounts Committee on Thursday.

Among the most notable takeaways was the absence of Andrew Flaherty, UL’s commercial chief who sponsored the contentious purchase of 20 homes in Rhebogue, which has been likened to “an episode of Hamlet without the prince”.

You can catch up on Donal MacNamee’s reporting on UL’s financial governance crisis here.

David McRedmond has been appointed the head of the new Dublin City Taskforce. The group, established by Taoiseach Simon Harris, has been tasked with drawing up a list of recommendations by July that will make Dublin a more “thriving, attractive and safe city”.

RTÉ is seeking applicants for its London correspondent role and confirmed John Kilraine will return to its Irish newsroom.

And finally, our Food & Wine editor Gillian Neilis reviewed Jean-Georges at The Leinster.

“My friend and I, we’ve had some cracking meals together. But we’ve also had some complete stinkers. There was the time we were served something that looked remarkably like a placenta, and the evening we spent an eye-watering amount of money and were rewarded with terrible food, surly service, and three petits fours between the two of us,” she writes.

“Could Jean-Georges at The Leinster be the latest to go on this list of shame? Er, no. Quite the opposite in fact.”

Thanks for reading!