Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

-----every other country raised issues relevant to their own need. The point I made on behalf of Ireland was that while the focus was not on Ireland, where they say we are proceeding with confidence, which we are, and that our reputation is in tact, which it is, people should still not lose sight of the fact that we still need assistance and encouragement. It is in those areas where we have taken a different route to have the overall debt burden reduced on our citizens, and this is paying dividends. As the late former Minister said, if we acted unilaterally here, there would not be agreement on an interest rate reduction.

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