Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)

Funds for a stimulus package can also be found in the private pension funds which have been lobbying for changes to the law. They believe the restrictions currently in place on their investments in Ireland require them to take bigger risks abroad rather than spread them, which was the intention of the legislation, and they want more scope to invest domestically.

We are all in politics and we have been around a long time. The conclusion I have reached from knocking on doors is that we cannot sell hardship. No matter how good we may be, and the Minister is very convincing, the problem is that the jury keeps returning to the trial. The more they get used to him, the less convincing he becomes.

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