Ireland ‘out of intensive care and well on the road to recovery’

The Government will seek to “finish the job” and get the budget deficit below 5% of GDP next year, sending “a clear signal” that the country is on the road to recovery.

Brian Hayes, minister of state at the Department of Finance, said Ireland was in a situation where 85% of the work on correcting our financial problems was done, but any faltering would be a “dereliction of duty” — and open the way to a possible second bailout.

And he said unpopular measures such as the property tax and impending water charges were part of the deal.