PRESS DIGEST - Ireland - November 9

DUBLIN Nov 9 (Reuters) - These are some of the leading stories in Ireland's newspapers on Monday. Reuters has not verified these stories and cannot vouch for their accuracy:

THE IRISH TIMES

- Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowen has indicated that government plans to cut the public sector pay bill by 1.3 billion euros will take immediate priority over long-promised reform of the public service.

- Allied Irish Banks (ALBK.I) is set to appoint Dan O'Connor as executive chairman on an interim basis while it continues its search for a suitable external candidate to become its new chief executive.

IRISH INDEPENDENT

- Hopes are growing that Allied Irish Banks chairman Dan O'Connor will agree to take on the role of executive chairman at the bank to end the stalemate with Finance Minister Brian Lenihan over who should lead the bank.

- Construction activity continued to fall last month, largely reflecting a further decline in new business, the Ulster Bank Construction Purchasing Managers' Index has found.

IRISH EXAMINER

- The 1.3 billion euro pay cut will just be the start of a slimming down of the public service that could see tens of thousands of jobs lost, Taoiseach (Prime Minister) Brian Cowen has indicated.

- Ryanair (RYA.I) passengers who forget to print out their own boarding cards will now be charged 100 euros by the airline.

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