PRESS DIGEST - Ireland - Oct 14

DUBLIN, Oct 14 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading
stories in Ireland's newspapers on Tuesday. Reuters has not
verified these stories and cannot vouch for their accuracy:

THE IRISH TIMES
- Hospital charges are to rise sharply and tax reliefs on
pensions and medical bills are to be cut today in the toughest
budget for over two decades.

- Irish shares significantly lagged the gains recorded by
stock markets around the globe as concerns grew that the
government would have to follow other European countries and buy
stakes in banks to create further safeguards for the Irish
financial system.

IRISH INDEPENDENT

- The government will today unleash the harshest budget in
decades with a 1-percent 'super tax' on income among a string of
swingeing measures.

- Irish people today find the Christian Bible "almost alien
territory", Archbishop of Dublin Diarmuid Martin claimed
yesterday.

- Management at Ballsbridge-based stockbroker Merrion
Capital have bought back the company from troubled Icelandic
financial group Landsbanki Islands.

IRISH EXAMINER
- Finance Minister Brian Lenihan last night warned he was
"taking the knife" to billions of euro worth of spending in an
emergency budget that may also inflict "painful" tax hikes.

- Ryanair (RYA.I) has threatened not only to cut its 400
million euro investment in Shannon Airport, but also severely
curtail flights from the mid-west if the government introduces a
10 euro travel tax in the budget.

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