PRESS DIGEST - Ireland - Oct 30

DUBLIN, Oct 30 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading
stories in Ireland's newspapers on Friday. Reuters has not
verified these stories and cannot vouch for their accuracy:

THE IRISH TIMES

- The government last night strengthened its support for
John Bruton's campaign for the presidency of the European
Council.

- The two big banks, AIB (ALBK.I) and Bank of Ireland
(BKIR.I), could be broken up by a Fine Gael government, the
(opposition) party's deputy leader and finance spokesman,
Richard Bruton, warned.

IRISH INDEPENDENT

- Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowen was forced last
night to publicly throw his weight behind former Fine Gael
Taoiseach John Bruton's bid to get the newly created top job in
the EU.

- Economists at the employers' body IBEC think next year may
not be as bad for the economy as they had feared, but it will
remain in recession until well into 2010.

IRISH EXAMINER

- Environment Minister John Gormley has been criticised for
"extreme irresponsibility" after suggesting "a type of civil
war" existed between workers in the public and private sectors.

- Recorded suicides increased by 43 percent in the first
three months of 2009, figures have revealed.

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