Richard Boyd Barrett (Dún Laoghaire, People Before Profit Alliance)
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24. To ask the Minister for Finance if he discussed with Christine Lagarde at their recent meeting in Dublin, the suggestion of Syriza in Greece that a debt conference should be held to discuss the debt burden affecting Greece, Ireland, Spain, Italy and Portugal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3376/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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The issue of a debt conference was discussed by Madame Lagarde and all participants, including myself, during the panel discussion at a conference in Dublin Castle entitled Ireland Lessons from Its Recovery from the Bank-Sovereign Loop. These discussions were streamed live by the event organisers and are available at:

As you will see from the recording, Madame Lagarde stated the view from the 188 countries in the IMF that debt should continue to be governed by contractual relationships between the creditors and the debtors.  Madame Lagarde continued that, while the IMF had tried in the past - without much success - to establish a Sovereign Debt Restructuring Mechanism, she would refrain from prescribed general collective approaches.

As I have stated on a number of occasion, including in the Press Conference following my meeting with Madame Lagarde and Minister Howlin, my view is that negotiation is better than conflict and unilateral action. The Eurogroup and Ecofin, where every country in the euro area and in the European Union, respectively, are represented are the appropriate fora for resolving outstanding issues.

Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)
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25. To ask the Minister for Finance if he will support Syriza's call for a European debt conference; his views on offering Ireland as a venue for such a conference; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4704/15]

Michael Noonan (Limerick City, Fine Gael)
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My view is that when countries encounter difficulties, a process of negotiation is always better than one of conflict.

Specifically in the case of euro area Member States, all programme negotiations have been conducted within the Eurogroup and Ecofin, with IMF involvement as appropriate.  My view is that these are the appropriate fora for resolving outstanding issues.