Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The place for negotiation in respect of concessions or changes to the regime that is imposed on any country is at the European Council and various Councils of Ministers. In the case of Ireland, when this Government was elected we were told repeatedly, by the Fianna Fáil Party in particular, that one would not be able to change the troika programme as laid out. However, because the Government set out a strategy for constructive engagement, we were able to deal with promissory notes, interest rate reductions, changes in the programme such as a reduction in VAT, the use of the proceeds of any sale of a State asset for sustainable employment, and so on. That has amounted to €50 billion in structural changes over the next ten years. This would not have been possible if there had not been the capacity to negotiate with our colleagues at a European level. We have chosen that path and we are in a very different place from where we were three and a half years ago, given the low interest rates at which we can now borrow and the changes taking place in Ireland.

I do not think any other country has been able to negotiate a deal such as the one whereby Ireland has been approved by everybody for a buy-out of the €18 billion IMF loans-----

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