IT HAS BEEN a long four years but today marks the end of the final visit by Troika officials to Ireland to see how the bailout is getting on.
Over the past nine days, officials from the EU, ECB and IMF have been holding their twelfth and final review of the Government’s economic programme, ahead of Ireand’s planned exit from the bailout programme on 15 December.
Much of the focus of the visit has been on whether Ireland will need a post-bailout emergency credit line in 2014. The precautionary measure would be used to help make it easier for Ireland to get used to raising money on the normal international lending markets rather than relying on bailout funds for the first time in more than four years.
However the Government has been reluctant to seek the insurance policy of the extra funds because of the possible conditions that would be attached to it and has hinted that it would prefer to go it alone.
Separately, the Troika officials met with a group of backbench TDs during their visit, which was the first time that the mission had met with any politicians outside of the Cabinet or the main opposition TDs.
The Troika officials will shortly release a statement with their verdict on the final review of the mission to Ireland.
Their last review found that Ireland’s bailout programme remained on track but raised concerns over unemployment and non-performing loans at the country’s banks.
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