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Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Taoiseach: Bailout funds are not dependent on fiscal compact

Enda Kenny says the EU-IMF bailout supersedes the new European deal, and that Ireland’s access to funding is safe.

THE TAOISEACH has said that the bailout programme between Ireland, the European Union and the International Monetary Fund supersedes the proposed new ‘fiscal compact’ deal signed with 24 other states.

Enda Kenny told RTÉ radio’s This Week programme that the arrangement Ireland was already in trumped the one which it hopes to ratify later this year before it comes into effect in 2013.

“Anything that happens in regard to the fiscal compact is superseded by that fact – that we’re in a fiscal programme,” Kenny insisted.

The supremacy of the bailout deal over the fiscal compact means that if the latter is put to a referendum, and Ireland votes no, it will still have access to European financing – even though the latter deal says funds from the European Stability Mechanism will only be available to participants in the fiscal compact.

If a country emerges from a programme – any country – the situation is that if they require any further funding, it would still be made available provided they met the conditions.

Separately, Kenny said Ireland would not be re-opening its embassy to the Holy See “in the immediate future”, but said the closure of the embassy – as well as those in Iran and Timor Leste – would be “reviewed in due course”.

Kenny denied the closure was deliberately linked to the fallout from the Cloyne Report – saying that suggestions to that effect “could not be further from the truth”.

The relationship between the government and the Church had become “far more real” and substantial under Kenny’s administration, he said, because of the work the State had done to safeguard children in all settings.

“There is now a very real relationship in terms of what we have to do with the Church, and I want that to continue,” he said.

Kenny also repeated the assertions of Eamon Gilmore that Ireland would issue a diplomatic invitation to Pope Benedict if he wishes to attend the International Eucharistic Congress in Dublin later this year.

“If I get an indication that he wants to attend that, the government will of course treat His Holiness with th erespsect that his office and status require,” he said.

Read: Independent TDs seek to force referendum on EU fiscal compact

Read: 80,000 expected to attend closing Eucharistic Congress ceremony in Croke Park

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43 Comments
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    Mute Nathan Wheeler
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    May 4th 2016, 10:52 AM

    Good guy China, mass murdering its own people for the glorious Communist future since 1949.

    Wally Mooney would love to spend time with his communist brethren.

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    Mute James O Conner
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    May 4th 2016, 10:53 AM

    I’d say your great craic in the pub Nathan

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    Mute Nathan Wheeler
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    May 4th 2016, 10:55 AM

    I will take that as a compliment !

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    Mute Ted Murray
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    May 4th 2016, 11:14 AM

    I think they’re more capitalunists these days.

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    Mute Sean Johnston
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    May 4th 2016, 11:17 AM

    You think they were bad Commies? Wait until this embracement of capitalism has run its course. We’ll be lucky if anyone is left alive to tell the tale.

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    Mute Barry Casey
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    May 4th 2016, 12:53 PM

    When do you think that will be Sean? I’ll put your Nostradamus type prediction down in my diary

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    Mute Patrick Hurley
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    May 4th 2016, 11:19 AM

    27 years for a political non-violent protest. And we think we have a corrupt system.

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    Mute Ó Connmhaigh
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    May 4th 2016, 1:22 PM

    Didn’t stop president Higgins and Irish politicians doing business with them.
    And then Higgins has the gall to tell the British that “a policy of amnesia won’t do” when it comes to facing up to injustices. Another cucumber sandwich, Dobby?

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    Mute Jeremiah A Craic
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    May 4th 2016, 10:45 AM

    A great bunch of lads

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    Mute Old Gordon
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    May 4th 2016, 12:55 PM

    Although they might be nominally communist, China does have some admirable traits. Without elections, they can plan long term without the issue of a new shower of moronic politicians ruining everything every five years.

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    Mute Leo Lowe
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    May 4th 2016, 1:06 PM

    And they would know how to deal effectively with water protestors.

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    Mute James Stratford
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    May 4th 2016, 5:17 PM

    Not everything is about water!

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    Mute John Reid
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    May 4th 2016, 3:02 PM

    The people who vote for the likes of the Marxist/socialist so-called People Before Profit, Anti-Austerity Alliance and Sinn Fein should read more articles like this, and about Venezuela and the rest of the countries which have adopted socialist/communist governments.

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    Mute David Clarke
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    May 4th 2016, 1:47 PM

    And your buddies Leo who have robbed this country blind and caused the deaths of hundreds who took their own life and sometimes took their kids as well you proud of that Leo the lion yea c.nt

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    Mute Pat Walsh
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    May 4th 2016, 1:36 PM

    Poor man, he may have been better off with the death sentence.

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    Mute paul kelly
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    May 4th 2016, 3:10 PM

    I love chicken curry

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