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Ireland received a significant boost in its bid to seek an extension to the maturities of its bailout loans last night after finance ministers of the countries that share the euro currency backed the deal.

Finance ministers from all 27 EU states will consider the issue at a scheduled meeting in Brussels this morning, which is being chaired by Minister for Finance Michael Noonan.

EU commissioner for economic and monetary affairs Olli Rehn said he expected an arrangement to be concluded by next month’s meeting of finance ministers, which is scheduled to take place in Dublin.

Yum. Tasty carrot.

While agreement has been reached in principle to extend the maturities, the scope and technical detail of how the extension of maturities will be implemented have yet to be worked out. If agreed by European finance ministers today, it will fall to the bailout troika to devise the technical details of the proposal.

Eurogroup chairman Jeroen Dijsselbloem declined to comment on the scale of the adjustments or whether new conditions would be imposed on Ireland and Portugal as a result of any deal.

Thwack! Keep moving debt-donkeys.

Boost for Ireland as eurogroup backs loan extension (Suzanne Lynch, Irish Times)

(Mark Stedman/Photocall Ireland)

OTBGer Gilroy paid tribute to the Off The Ball crew, including Eoin McDevitt, pictured interviewing Ireland’s soccer manager Giovanni Trapattoni above, after their resignation from the Newstalk show this afternoon. Just after the show started at 7pm, he said:

 “All right, a very good evening to you.You’re welcome to tonight’s Off The Ball. First things first. We didn’t really expect to be here tonight but we are. That’s because the lads made a pitch to start the show every night at 6pm. Station management couldn’t accommodate that and the lads have decided to resign.
“All I really want to say about this now is that we’re going to miss our friends: Ken, Eoin, Mark, Simon and Murph are an amazing group of people to work with. They’ve helped change how sport is talked about in Ireland forever. They make great radio and they help make radio great. We’re all going to miss them and we wish them the very best of luck in the future.”

Earlier This Changes Everything

(Pic: Worldirish)

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Parrots.

Sick as.

Off The Ball To Go Ahead Tonight Without Early, McDevitt, Hick, Producer Guy And Cuchlie Fella (Balls.ie)

Update:

Update:

 

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