Hayes welcomes 'positive step', McDonald warns Govt

Minister of State Brian Hayes has welcomed today's referendum result as "a positive step forward" towards Ireland's recovery.

Mr Hayes said: "While there is a long way to go before the country is fully recovered, the signal from today is that Ireland is willing and able to get through the problems it faces."

The Minister said that Ireland remains a firm member of the eurozone project:

However, Sinn Féin's Mary Lou McDonald has said the Government must now act on the promises it made during the referendum campaign.

The Dublin TD said that those who are suffering the most from the recession were from constituencies that voted against the treaty.

Ms McDonald said: "The problems that the country faced before the vote still stand and issues such as employment and emigration still need to be addressed."