PARIS (MNI) – Ireland should be praised for its economic reform
efforts, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said Wednesday,
adding that he was confident Irish voters would approve the EU’s fiscal
compact treaty in the country’s upcoming referendum.

Ireland has experienced a “hard and harsh fiscal consolidation
program. I would say from all angles they deserve to be praised for
their efforts,” Draghi said.

He added that “I have full confidence they will vote in favor of
the fiscal compact treaty.”

Regarding the recent restructuring of a E3.1 billion payment on the
promissory notes that Ireland issued to rescue its banks, Draghi
repeated a statement that the ECB issued last week during the meeting of
Eurozone finance ministers in Copenhagen.

The ECB statement said that it was of the “utmost importance” that
Ireland meet all of its commitments according to the contracts that it
has signed.

–Paris newsroom, +33142715540; jduffy@marketnews.com

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