Sutherland: Ireland is not a ‘basket case’

IRELAND is not the “basket case” that is being presented at home and abroad, it is still wealthy and will not be destroyed.

This is according to BP and Goldman Sachs chairman, Peter Sutherland, who said that although Ireland has a major budget deficit problem it has great strengths and the picture is not as bad as is being painted.

The former Irish EU commissioner also said Ireland has to recognise that it got through very difficult times before in the late 1980s and early 90s and came out of it with a growth rate that was “phenomenal”.