Irish PM to address parliament on bank debt deal

Ireland's prime minister will make a statement in parliament on the bank debt deal Dublin agreed with the European Central Bank on Thursday before 1500 GMT, a government spokesman said.

ECB President Mario Draghi told the bank's monthly news conference that the monetary authority's General Council "took note" of Ireland's plans to ease the burden of its bank related debt after 18 months of talks.

Under the plan, first reported by Reuters, 28 billion euros in promissory notes pumped into the failed Anglo Irish Bank will be replaced with long-term government bonds, meaning that Ireland can make more gradual repayments.

(Reporting by Padraic Halpin)