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Kenny to discuss economic recovery with Greek Prime Minister

The short trip comes a day after the Taoiseach’s comments on Ireland not giving special tax deals.

IRISH TAOISEACH ENDA Kenny is to meet with the Prime Minister of Greece today – and the topic of economic recovery will be on the agenda.

Kenny will travel to Athens for a short official visit today, during which he will meet with Prime Minister Antonis Samaras.

Among the topics they are expected to discuss will be the ongoing efforts to secure economic recovery in Europe, as well as Ireland’s priorities for the remaining weeks of its Presidency of the Council of the EU.

Ireland currently holds the European Union presidency, which will be taken over by Greece from January-June 2014, as part of a trio of presidencies with Ireland and Lithuania.

The Taoiseach will also meet with representatives of the Greek business and SME community at the Embassy of Ireland.

Yesterday, Kenny travelled to Brussels for a European Council meeting, where he spoke about tax evasion and fraud.

During his trip he said that Ireland does not give special tax deals and that the European Commission has not been in contact with his office about Apple or any other company.

The statement was made after Apple came under fire for its low tax rate in Ireland, being accused of using the country as a ‘tax haven’.

Read: Taoiseach says Ireland does not give special tax deals>

Read: Kenny to talk tax with European Council>

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50 Comments
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    Mute rodrigo detriano
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:00 AM

    Comparing notes on how to decimate the people you were entrusted to look after.

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    Mute Padriag O'Traged
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:11 AM

    Don’t think you really mean “decimate” do you

    16
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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    May 23rd 2013, 9:19 AM

    Think the suicide rate in Greece has risen steeply Padriag (by 40%) from very low levels. Decimate is probably the correct word to use.

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    Mute Cathal
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    May 23rd 2013, 10:32 AM

    ‘Decimate’ literally means one in ten ….

    ‘Totally Destroy’ would probably be more of an apt description of what Kenny and co are trying to achieve through their incompetent economic strategies. FG/Labour and FF before them, have demonstrated very very clearly, they do not know how to run an economy, unless its their goal to ensure the economy is run straight into the ground.

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    Mute Kev O Sullivan
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    May 23rd 2013, 7:59 AM

    That should be an interesting conversation. The blind leading the useless. You pick the order.

    92
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    Mute Tony Skillington
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    May 23rd 2013, 7:58 AM

    Enda’s going to pass on the Beat The People To Death With Austerity handbook to the Greeks.

    80
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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    May 23rd 2013, 7:57 AM

    Someone should tell the Greek SME community not to waste their time.

    69
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    Mute Eileen Dover
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:04 AM

    Talk about the blind leading the blind.

    77
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    Mute Declan
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:27 AM

    Kenny will probably try and convince the Greek leader to pay the bond holders. It’s like selling insurance you see, Kenny will get paid a commission from said bond holders should the Greeks pay out.

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    Mute Declan
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    May 23rd 2013, 11:01 AM

    Listening to Joe Duffy’s Live line program yesterday on RTE Radio 1 would make you’re blob boil with rage. There was a lady on the radio saying her severely disabled son is squeezed into a specialist wheelchair that he has outgrown and is in agonising pain as a result. Response from social worker: funding had been cut, he has to wait indefinitely. What kind of a Country has Ireland become when our government have sacrificed our sick kids needs over those gambling billionaire bond holder soulless capitalists?

    16
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    Mute Declan
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    May 23rd 2013, 11:04 AM

    Blood, not blob. Funny spelling predictive thingy.

    5
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    Mute Marist '59
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:05 AM

    Somebody is lying about a ‘special tax deal’.

    58
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    Mute Geraldine Lee
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    May 23rd 2013, 11:14 AM

    How come there is no longer any word of the snake pat rabbit is he hiding in the grass i wonder

    8
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    Mute Dave Harris
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    May 23rd 2013, 2:10 PM

    He’s hiding in the same hole as Phil hogan

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    Mute Anthony Hobbs
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    Jun 9th 2013, 8:41 PM

    simple he is no longer PAT RABBITE open sesame …PET RABBIT

    1
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    Mute Aidan Hayes
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:13 AM

    Such a waste of money.he is probaly promoting shatters book to the greeks.

    55
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    Mute Lillian O'Connor
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:00 AM

    Another jollie…pay him better to stay at home & sort our finances instead of wasting them

    52
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    Mute phunkyboy
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:26 AM

    Enda better off staying at home watching reruns of Dallas.

    48
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    Mute Thomas Curtis
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    May 23rd 2013, 10:38 AM

    Funniest. Headline. Ever.

    8
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    Mute Anthony Hobbs
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    Jun 9th 2013, 8:51 PM

    MUST agree thomas re headline i assumed it was some very avant-garde theatre group doing a version of …WAITING FOR GODOT

    1
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    Mute mick curtin
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:08 AM

    Oh WOW….Go SuperEnda!
    Show them that “we are defined by the decisions we make…”, according to the Irish Independent ads on the billboards and that’s why there have been riots in Greece and here we are civilised and obedient.
    The Greeks would do better to ignore our faithfully obedient Euro-patsie, the louser Enda Kenny.
    It ain’t our frigging debt.

    43
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    Mute Des Murphy
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:29 AM

    Well mr prime rib of Greece how much did you get in your brown envelope off Angela?

    39
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    Mute Mac Dara Powell
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:42 AM

    one muppet talking to another muppet.

    38
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    Mute Lee Casey
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:30 AM

    The final nail in the greeks coffin rip greece!

    33
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    Mute Bryan Rooney
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:44 AM

    Show the Greeks your brilliant but sadly non existent 5 point plan Enda! If anything it may raise a few laughs & God knows the Greeks need a laugh – perhaps thats why Euro Clown Kenny is visiting today! Makes sense now.

    31
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    Mute Pete Gibson
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:50 AM

    They pay a lower corporation tax rate than the lowliest paid PAYE taxpayer in Ireland.
    So 12.5% Is not a special deal?
    If I filed a tax return of 12.5% I would be hauled before the courts fined or imprisoned and my name published as a tax cheat.
    “The Rich Are Different”…. obviously.

    29
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    Mute phil
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:41 AM

    He is giving the Greeks some campaign advice. How to campaign about burning bondholders yet cowardly breaking them promises.

    28
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    Mute Bob Flynn
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    May 23rd 2013, 9:17 AM

    That mayo muppet wouldn’t run a bath what has he to offer the greeks?? Unless angela merkles private mobile no!!!

    22
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    Mute Niall Mullins
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:41 AM

    Thanks Aoife! Always like to start the day with a good laugh.

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    Mute Gerard McAuliffe
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    May 23rd 2013, 9:10 AM

    And why exactly would anybody discuss economics with the Greeks? An utterly useless economy not just now but at least for the last 70 years. Spend, spend, spend with no economic output or value generated. Great model.

    13
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    Mute Al S Macthomais
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    May 23rd 2013, 10:07 AM

    Merkel neutered lapdog Kenny is going to Greece to show the fellow greek based lapdog government that his new EU golden star lapdog award.

    13
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    Mute sean
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    May 23rd 2013, 11:50 AM

    so enda , how did you do it .

    well Minister Antonis , my 5 point plan of course ,
    1. lie to the people.
    2. take every last penny , by hook or by crook from the ordinary people , the sick , the disabled , the old , the needy , the children , pregnant mothers
    3. deny deny deny
    4. spin spin spin
    5. take some more from the ordinary people , the sick , the disabled , the old , the needy , the children , pregnant mothers
    .
    What about the rich ?
    Minister Antonis, we are the rich , our families are the rich , our friends or the rich …………….we must protect our friends …….., have you ever used brown envelopes ? there a wonderful thing
    oh and one final piece if the jigsaw ,
    don’t get involved in any debates or confrontations , as they will likey ask questions we don’t know the answer’s to .

    Thanks pm Kenny .

    i’ll take your ideas to the greek parliment , right away .

    11
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    Mute ciaran clarke
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    May 23rd 2013, 10:20 AM

    Blind leading the blind.
    I despise enda Kenny and his political party.oh and labour.lying b******s

    11
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    Mute John Campbell
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    May 23rd 2013, 10:13 AM

    The leaking pot advising the kettle !

    11
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    Mute Mike Hall
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    May 23rd 2013, 9:48 AM

    Kenny in Greece is just a meeting of the clowns – clowns lining their own pockets handsomely at our expense of course.

    Professor Bill Mitchell has an excellent recent post up on his blog about the Euro zone mess. Highly recommended, he explains it very well, all backed with empirical (real) data. Do have a look back thru’ his other articles too.

    “It’s all been for nothing – that is, if we ignore the millions of jobs lost etc”

    http://bilbo.economicoutlook.net/blog/?p=23996

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    Mute grease lightening
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    May 23rd 2013, 12:24 PM

    Well worth a read!

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    Mute Itiswhatitis
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    May 23rd 2013, 9:19 AM

    Two thick governments meet.OH boy.

    10
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    Mute Rick MacRory
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    May 23rd 2013, 9:55 AM

    Itswhatitis
    Just to attend to your special need today may I suggest that Mr Kenny is a Taoiseach rather then a “Government”

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    Mute richardmccarthy
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    May 23rd 2013, 10:14 AM

    Its all too very easy to get caught up in negativity and just criticise, but what is harder are positive ideas on how to get us out of the hole and back on track with more jobs and employment for people,the family next door did just that by starting their own business and by hiring three people off the dole they are making a positive effort.

    8
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    Mute wierdo varadkar
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    May 23rd 2013, 10:50 AM

    richard
    your sentiment is commendable but i forsee a problem
    this government have no interest in SMEs, infact they have left them high and dry…do you remember the promises on upwardly only rents, the promises to make banks extend credit and the promises to help people to do business…as soon as enda et all got their noses in the trough that went out the window

    10
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    Mute richardmccarthy
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    May 23rd 2013, 1:28 PM

    Despite the efforts of the politicians at banjaxing the country, there are people in this country still succeeding against all the odds, by adopting a can do attitude they have provided proof that problems can be overcome, retail unit rents in Cork have come down some by as much as 50 pc, the landlords having realised that 50 pc of something is better than 50pc of nothing

    1
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    Mute Tony Le Blanc
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    May 23rd 2013, 4:30 PM

    Interesting chat no doubt………

    “Well the way to do it Antonis, is to bend em over at the waist…. and well you know the rest”

    “With lube Mr Kenny?”

    “HA! Lord no Antonis, they take it without as much as a whimper. Now, lets discuss eradicating poverty while we enjoy a state dinner that costs more than an average sized family car”

    “OK Mr Kenny”

    “Please, call me Useless, everyone else does”

    5
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    Mute Rob Power
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    May 23rd 2013, 1:25 PM

    In other news:
    Drug Addict to discuss sobriety with Alcoholic.

    4
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    Mute Sean McNally
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    May 23rd 2013, 11:38 AM

    Who is writing these headlines? Salvador Dali?

    4
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    Mute Tommy Crotty
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    May 23rd 2013, 10:29 AM

    Bill and Ted, Part 2.

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    Mute Colum Quinn
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    May 23rd 2013, 8:27 PM

    that headline made my day.
    brilliant………..
    surely the Greek lad won’t take any advice from that dipshit.

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    Mute Eugene Conroy
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    May 23rd 2013, 3:04 PM

    me thinks ” an idiot abroad “

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    Mute Stephen Grehan
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    May 23rd 2013, 11:21 AM

    Is this candid camera.

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    Mute Cathy Reynolds
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    May 23rd 2013, 10:52 AM

    The blind lead the blind …

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    Mute Alan Dunne
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    May 23rd 2013, 12:18 PM

    Ha ha

    2
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