Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The Government made a decision last week to exit the bailout without seeking a precautionary credit line. We did so because we believe that the time was right to make that decision. A precautionary credit line would last probably for a year. The State is fully funded for well beyond a year. The issue of what would happen this time next year would arise. The response to the Government decision, by the institutions, by other member states, including Germany, and by the markets, confirms clearly that the correct decision was made.

In the middle of negotiations for the formation of a government, in Germany or anywhere else, of course, there will always be issues that will be speculated on. The SPD has set down its priorities in terms of those negotiations. They have ten priorities that all relate to domestic German issues. As it happens, they are largely issues with which the Irish Labour Party and the Irish Government would find significant degree of comfort.

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