Kildare Independent TD Catherine Murphy today joined with other TDs from the Technical Group in a meeting with representatives from the IMF, the European Central Bank and the European Commission. In discussion were the conditions of Ireland’s bailout programme, the prospects for national recovery and jobs and the sustainability of the debt Ireland will incur by the end of the programme.
“In what I would term a very constructive meeting, the representatives of the Troika answered in full the many questions members of the Technical Group had prepared. What became apparent is that the adjustment being undertaken by Ireland, while by nature is of course harsh, need not necessarily be as proscriptive as is commonly repeated by the Government parties – provided alternatives are serious evidence-based proposals.
“This is the first of several planned meetings between Opposition deputies and the Troika representatives and I plan on continuing to pursue serious alternatives with the Government – in particular with regard to Public Service Reform. It’s clear that nuanced reform which delivers efficiencies, and not just blunt cutbacks, can and must be pursued."