Agreeing finance deal to be top of agenda

TAOISEACH-IN-WAITING Enda Kenny is facing a busy three weeks in which he must agree a new economic deal for the country with his future coalition partners and then get the green light for the deal from fellow EU prime ministers.

If Mr Kenny manages to finalise his Programme for Government with likely coalition partners, Labour, by Wednesday week, when the Dáil next meets, he will have less than two days before his first eurozone summit in Brussels on Friday, March 11.

The renegotiation of the interest rate being charged by the EU/IMF as part of their bailout deal will be top of his agenda at this summit.