Results 14,901-14,920 of 36,764 for speaker:Enda Kenny

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: Before he took up his job with the ECB, Mr. Draghi already repeated that there would be no change in European Central Bank policy towards this matter. He also repeated that the European Central Bank would continue to buy where necessary and to whatever extent required to put the firewall facility of the EFSF in place. The Deputy seems to be asserting that I can dictate every item of the...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: -----at the meeting. I contributed comprehensively to the discussions. I am not sure if anybody was reporting to him, but the Deputy was not there so he does not know.

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: The meeting was called to deal with the potential Greek catastrophe and arising from that-----

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: -----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...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: The rationale of the ECB is that if we do not pay our way, we default and if we default, we have a real problem and we will cause a real problem. We do not want to go that route. Our mandate is to sort out the mess that we inherited and follow a programme and a pattern of growth. That is not easy to shift.

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: When we enter into commitments, we are expected to honour our commitments. That is part of the agreement worked out last Wednesday by the 27 member states and the 17 eurozone states. It is also relevant that the ECB has forked out €150 billion for Irish banks and that it continues to provide finance that pays nurses, gardaí, public servants and everybody else. It has also extended that...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: For the information of Deputies, Prime Minister Papandreou wrote to me and said in the course of his letter: As you are aware, the domestic, political and social situation in Greece is particularly tense and critical. The Greek Government considers these decisions of historical importance for the country and the Greek people. However, all opposition parties are absolutely and intensely...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: The Deputy raised two questions about what might happen if we did not pay this. It is a valid question.

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: A number of options would be open to the ECB if Ireland were to refuse to pay the bond in question. It could, for instance, increase the interest rate, which would result in substantial difficulty for this country. It could lend at a higher rate than 1.5% to banks that it felt were overly dependent on central banks, and that would have an absolutely devastating impact on Irish banks and on...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: We have made a clear set of decisions and we intend to follow that through. Greece, on the other hand, faces ten to 15 years of austerity programmes, as Prime Minister Papandreou has outlined for me here. We certainly do not want to see that in our country for our people. We want to follow a growth pattern in which we get the 440,000 who are on the live register back to work and enable...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: Obviously-----

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: Yes. I saw the Deputy in the corner earlier when the new Deputy was arriving and I wondered why he went in there. It certainly was not to skulk away and hide to avoid receiving a new Deputy from his own constituency, I am sure.

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: That is the impact of democracy - Deputy Higgins will get new help in the constituency.

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: Rather than, as the Deputy says, jumping to the diktat of the markets like slaves, the point is that in this democracy in which we contribute both as one of the 17 eurozone members and as one of the 27 member states-----

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: -----we do so in the interests of our people and our country.

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: That is why the findings and conclusions not only from my own contribution but from others have been inserted into the agreement that was reached for guaranteed funding even when a country ends its programme, provided it continues to meet the conditions. That is the guarantee of our future. As has been pointed out, the extension of money on a longer-term basis is also critical. I know the...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: We must look at the longer-term view for our country and reduce the overall debt burden by alternative methods. That is where we are making progress. It would not have been possible to have a €10 billion reduction in interest rates if we had been acting the mick with our European partners. Of the four Heads of Government meetings I have attended, this was the first at which there was a...

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: Deputy Donnelly asked the most relevant questions.

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: It is on the Order Paper since last week. Deputy Martin has had all the time since then.

European Council: Statements (2 Nov 2011)

Enda Kenny: We heard Deputy Michael McGrath's speech this morning.