Ireland is an inspiration to Italians, PM Monti tells Taoiseach

Ireland is a source of inspiration for Italy in the way it is handling the crisis and returning to growth, Italian prime minister Mario Monti told Enda Kenny following a meeting in Rome.

The former European commissioner and economics professor is in a race against time to introduce a raft of reforms and ensure the eurozone’s third-largest economy does not come under attack from speculators, threatening the existence of the euro.

Mr Monti told a press conference yesterday that Ireland was “an inspiration for Italy and the Italians, which are also having to make sacrifices and accepting reforms... which are necessary, not because Europe says so, but in order to create more economic activity and jobs as well as to make the welfare system more sustainable in the future”.