Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Tuesday, 20 November 2012

Joint Oireachtas Committee on European Union Affairs

Exchange of Views with European Union Affairs Committee of Latvian Parliament

2:50 pm

Photo of Paschal DonohoePaschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

It strikes me that there is a similarity between Latvia's approach to the euro and Ireland's approach to the euro when we joined.

In essence, what you are saying is that devaluing one's own exchange rate is an artificial source of competitiveness and that in the long run where competitiveness comes from is from the structure of one's industries and so on. Latvia wants to go down that route, which is exactly what Ireland has done. It is very interesting to see this from a country looking to join a project that I am convinced will not only survive, but will prosper in a decade or two. It is interesting that Latvia wants to join the eurozone while others within it predict its demise. I am sure they are wrong, but it is interesting to hear your view on that.