Satisfaction at a job well done on EU budget

WHEN agreement on the EU’s seven year €960bn budget was signed off last Thursday, the last major act in Ireland’s six month presidency of the EU, the Taoiseach, the Tánaiste, the presidents of the commission and the parliament, the budget commissioner and the chief negotiator for the parliament gave a press briefing.

They thanked one another, and their staff. But standing out of sight, a few metres away from the six grey suits, was the one politician who saw the presidency through from start to finish — Lucinda Creighton.

It began over two years ago, the day after the Cabinet was appointed in Mar 2011, when she got a call from the Taoiseach saying he would like to appoint her minister of state for European affairs.