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TÁNAISTE EAMON GILMORE has stated it is his expectation that negotiations between the Irish government and the European Central Bank, on possible methods to restructure Ireland’s promissory note debts, will be concluded before the next repayment is due.
The €30.6 billion note – which, when including interest, will cost about €48 billion over its lifetime – is currently due to be repaid in instalments of €3.06 billion at the end of every March, with the next repayment due ten weeks from today.
Last year’s repayment was made by issuing a long-term government bond – something which Gilmore this afternoon said would probably not be pursued this year, as the government made clear its attempt to secure a more long-term arrangement.
“We are committed to getting a comprehensive resolution of it,” Gilmore told RTÉ’s This Week. “I hope and expected that we will have [negotiations] concluded by the 31st of March.
We want to get an overall comprehensive resolution on the promissory note problem. We want to do that in a comprehensive way so that as a country, we know where we stand […] and those who are contemplating lending to us [...] know where we stand on this issue also.
The Tánaiste added: “It is something that is very much a priority for the government, and very much an immediate priority.”
Gilmore said Ireland had secured political agreement on its hopes for a deal from the leaders of other countries, and said he expected this to be underlined in upcoming events at EU level and at a summit of European and Latin American countries.
“I expect again that that political support will be confirmed and that we will be able to conclude our negotiations with the ECB before the 31st of March,” he said.
Gilmore would not be drawn, however, on whether any possible deal would involve lowering Ireland’s overall bill, or simply whether the payments would be extended over a longer period to reduce the taxpayer’s annual liability.
The Tánaiste’s comments came after Enda Kenny said he foresaw the deal as being restructured “from a serious overdraft to a long-term, low-interest mortgage”.
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Wish it was still standard to ball around in a tweed suit rather than the tracksuits which have replaced them.
Just thinking the same, maybe where not evolving after all, I’ll need to rethink my theory.
Life looked so much more simple in all of those photos..
” Life was so much simpler “Jesus wept . This was the Ireland of quiet abuse and ruined child and adult hoods . Just because it’s viewed in black and white doesn’t change those facts .
Great pics…no sign of ‘heroin man’!!
There is always one t1t that brings drugs into every article. Well done t1t.
Dunno, he wasn’t a very good photographer in fairness.
Marko, would you stand on a bridge & street for 12 hours every day and get the “perfect photo of people every time”? Tut Tut!
True
Anglicised rather than Anglo-sized
I’m sure my family would have a several photos of his lying around. He worked on O’Connell St. rather than exclusively on O’Connell Bridge, the cinema in the background is the old Metropole, now Penney’s and others are taken at the GPO.
He was there every day and if he took your photo he’d give you a ticket and you could go and see it to decide whether or not to buy. I seem to remember he had a studio in Westmoreland St or D’Olier St but memory’s a bit hazy.
My parents have a photo taken on O’Connell Street the day they travelled to Dublin to buy their engagement ring. That was in 1957 and it was probably one of his photos.
Beautiful. Such a lovely life project. Such a pity that country people and snobs generally now can’t see the beauty of the north side of this city. O’Connell Street and adjoining streets are so beautiful. Step into the Pro Cathedral, pause, then shop in Clery’s and Arnotts and you’ll remember why Dublin Can Be Heaven…
My mam and dad have loads of these photos as do a lot of my relatives
Anglo – sized?
The one with the girl in the communion dress and (presumably) her little brother is great, his face just says it all.
This hat with these shoes…really??? :-D
Wonderful. Such a part of Dublin culture.
Didn’t he keep the negatives?
Too many to keep, that why they were asking people to root out the photos
have your say