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J. Scott Applewhite/AP

Lagarde cites Ireland as role model in back-to-work policies

The IMF managing director said other countries should follow Ireland’s example by targeting training and providing incentives.

THE MANAGING DIRECTOR of the International Monetary Fund, Christine Lagarde, has cited Ireland as a role model of a country which has implemented measures encouraging the creation of new jobs.

In a speech in Washington, Lagarde said Ireland’s programmes to educate workers in new skills, as well as incentives for both employees and employers to take up work, should be followed by other countries.

“We must improve competitiveness and have better functioning labour markets so that we can generate more jobs,” the former French finance minister said. ”The focus should be on getting people back to work.”

She continued:

Recent initiatives in Ireland are a good example – including targeted training, as well as incentives for workers to take-up job opportunities, and for employers to take-on people who are unemployed.

At her speech, on the theme of “thinking beyond the crisis”, Lagarde said the process of reforming labour markets was not easy, but it was nonetheless essential in order to make economies more competitive and to get people back to work.

“It needs to be done, but done according to individual country circumstances, and done with care,” she said.

Lagarde summarised the global plan of action for countering the ongoing debt crisis as being to act quickly, act together, and to act with confidence.

Her comments could be interpreted as a further sign of what appears to be a growing rift between the IMF and Ireland’s European financial backers.

Yesterday ECB governing board member Jorg Rasmussen acknowledged that while household debt was a major concern for Ireland’s recovery, it was the firm view of the ECB that Ireland should continue its annual repayments of the IBRC promissory notes.

The IMF has previously indicated it would not block plans to burn senior bondholders of Irish banks – including those of AIB who were yesterday repaid a €1.5 billion unsecured bond – but plans to impose any such losses have been persistently vetoed by Frankfurt and Brussels.

Read: IMF: Allowing homes to restructure debt will solve crisis quicker

More: IMF chief wants ‘more firepower’ to fight crises

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47 Comments
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    Mute Dave
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    Apr 12th 2012, 8:48 PM

    You know the EU/ECB are total bunch of c****s when the IMF look like the good guy.

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    Mute Cathal Henry
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    Apr 12th 2012, 8:56 PM

    very true

    89
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    Mute Stray Mutt
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    Apr 12th 2012, 9:33 PM

    Lagarde & Co are using Ireland as an example. BECAUSE… Irish people are the most pliable and compliant mentality in the EU.
    The EU needs an exemplary for all other member states.
    If you fall for this one then you are one of Lagardes puppets.

    108
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    Mute Mensah Mensah
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    Apr 12th 2012, 11:00 PM

    I bet we are..sure we never complain or go on strike,we just do what we are told by those IMF,germany,france and england….like good little kids..whiles we stand aside and look at high tax rate on everything,and the fat cats enjoy all the money..

    56
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    Mute stephen corrigan
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    Apr 13th 2012, 1:46 AM

    Eh mensa what are england telling us to do?

    19
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    Mute Shit you not
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    Apr 13th 2012, 10:42 AM

    Dave, class comment and f**king 100% true!

    2
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    Mute Chris Hennessy
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    Apr 13th 2012, 10:27 PM

    “targeted training” = ” used to be called education when people could afford it”
    “incentives for people to take up job opportunities” = ” cut the meagre pittance of state aid/ social welfare”
    “employers to take-on people who are unemployed ” = “job-bridge, exploitation of the workforce and an opportunity for Ireland to show the IMF that the “live” register figures are down”

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    Mute Barry O'Neill
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    Apr 12th 2012, 8:52 PM

    Role model in the eyes if the IMF. Unemployed people working for free and taxation moving away from labour and towards goods and services. Exactly what they want. The poor suffer and the rich eat cake.

    140
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    Mute Buckwheat MacMillan
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    Apr 12th 2012, 9:45 PM

    Another pat on the head for Eire

    61
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    Mute Anne Kerins
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    Apr 12th 2012, 8:57 PM

    If its all so wonderful why have we still got 400,450 people unemployed?

    103
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    Mute Charlie Melia
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    Apr 13th 2012, 6:35 AM

    You’ve got to wonder what the real figure would be if they added FAS trainees, Back to work, Internships and all the quango created inniatives that change the official status from just “Unemployed” to some other obscure status. And why do we have to “Seasonally adjust” the unemployment figure? Out of work, is out of work. It would be a breath of fresh air if they’d just tell us the bloody truth for a change.

    19
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    Mute Taidi Mcnally
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    Apr 12th 2012, 9:03 PM

    Lagarde cites Ireland as a role model for the easily mugged

    90
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    Mute mart_n
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    Apr 12th 2012, 8:57 PM

    Are any of these policies actually paying off? What data is there to support that it is having a positive impact in reducing the rate of unemployment?

    http://goo.gl/ogFgA

    85
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    Mute Holemaster
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    Apr 12th 2012, 11:10 PM

    They don’t care about employment. They just want slave labour for large corporates.

    35
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    Mute joseph mcgee
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    Apr 12th 2012, 9:03 PM

    Is there no end to their bullshit

    72
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    Mute Bryan Rooney
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    Apr 12th 2012, 9:09 PM

    Her comments should keep the ginger mans tail wagging as he gets his now ample tummy rubbed for being a good little Taoiseach !! Bad dog – down boy!!

    67
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    Mute Kevin McCarthy
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    Apr 12th 2012, 9:25 PM

    They would not mind us voting NO so in the upcoming referendum. Bring it on.

    61
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    Mute Ann Reddin
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    Apr 12th 2012, 8:59 PM

    And why wouldnt she! Look at the Irish administration – they can get their well educated workforce to work for 20 euros a week at worst and for nothing at best. Long live democratic capitalism!

    61
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    Mute Live Wire
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    Apr 12th 2012, 9:54 PM

    How many of journal.ie readers send emails to the Wanker politicians telling them how they feel, just a thought but if everyone copy and pasted their comments to the boys in Leinster house every day or sent em via post they might start listening. Instead of getting angry with each other ,get angry at the very ppl who are causing this. Hijack their inboxes. Get their phone numbers which are readily available hijack their voicemail. If everyone who posts comments on this site started doing this every day we could make ourselves heard and annoy the shite out of the Boys of Leinster house. It only takes 2 mins. Come on ppl, leave your mark. Be heard!!. No point getting angry with each other guys, we are all in the same boat, we are victims here and our perpotrators are readily contactable. Viva la revolution. No violence, no war remember the pen is mightier than the sword, and though some may find this a skeptical phrase…used right , it can work

    61
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    Mute Ryan oneill
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    Apr 12th 2012, 11:09 PM

    Yes the pen is mightier than the sword…
    And I shall wield my bic biro with might and defiance marking that special referendum ballot paper as if it were Enda kenny himself and scribe with heavy hand a mighty X in the magic box marked Nil/No to end the European takeover once and for all!!!

    30
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    Mute Susie Chester
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    Apr 13th 2012, 1:09 AM

    I will be votting NO.

    23
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    Mute Bigmac Mcelligott
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    Apr 12th 2012, 9:22 PM

    This from a women who just said pensions cant be sustained and should be cut, this is a manufactured crisis by the big capatilists to strip the rights of the workers that have been won by blood and tears so that the rich get richer at the expense of the workers why do you think all over europe they are trying to get rid of education because an educated person is harder to fool, they want to keep you in the mindset of a wage slave that wont lift your voice to be heard.

    60
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    Mute Holemaster
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    Apr 12th 2012, 11:08 PM

    True. Real education where you learn to question and challenge is being limited to the elite so the majority instead are merely being trained to provide services.

    21
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    Mute Reginald St Worthing
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    Apr 12th 2012, 9:15 PM

    Oh shut up, Legarde. This condescending pat on the head is so bloody typical, and what we’ve come to expect from cosseted Euro-peons. Just shut up.

    53
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    Mute Éamonn Tiernan
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    Apr 12th 2012, 9:35 PM

    Ooh a pat on the head and a scratch behind the ears.

    I’d love to see what she’d look like on Spitting’ Image.

    39
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    Mute Mark Andrew Salmon
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    Apr 12th 2012, 9:49 PM

    Éamonn I’m guessing they’d dig out the old Norman Tebbit mould and give it some long hair.

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    Mute Susie Chester
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    Apr 13th 2012, 12:49 AM

    That has given me a laugh ! THanks . much needed .:)
    But what jobs are they talking about ? Have I been sleeping for ten years that I missed ”Ireland’s programmes to educate workers in new skills, as well as incentives for both employees and employers to take up work, should be followed by other countries” This is a load of cobblers.

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    Mute Mike O'Connor
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    Apr 13th 2012, 7:18 AM

    Ireland has one of the world’s best back to work schemes for young people…. It’s called Australia!

    33
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    Mute Barry Murphy
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    Apr 12th 2012, 10:28 PM

    Lagarde! Back off. Where were u when Henry handled the ball…eh?

    32
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    Mute Mark Andrew Salmon
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    Apr 12th 2012, 9:48 PM

    I agree with most of the preceeding comments as to the IMF/ECB et.al. There is also the possibility that she is taking a wee side swipe at our EU masters by saying that focus should be on back to work programmes knowing theirs is on austerity and unsecured lenders.

    31
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    Mute Charlie Melia
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    Apr 13th 2012, 6:40 AM

    Her shareholders are the unsecured bondholders. Like any large company her job is to increase shareholder value. This is why any country that as resorted to borrowing from the vulture class that is the IMF have always faired badly. In fact they destroy any country they lend to. Thats their job after all. Burger King corp sell burgers and IMF corp rape and pillage countries as the price of a dig out.

    7
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    Mute Nigel O'Neill
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    Apr 12th 2012, 10:13 PM

    Just shows you how much in cahoots they all are.. This is the lip service for our government being good little puppies!!
    Where is the back to work???? All the policies, including the household charge are anti job creation fgs!!! Austerity never brought about growth or job creation… They obviously think we are real idiots!!!!

    28
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    Mute Holemaster
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    Apr 12th 2012, 11:04 PM

    Proof that Ireland is a guinea pig / test tube economy where oppressive policies are tested on a population before larger scale roll out elsewhere.

    They same reason Ireland introduced the smoking ban first. It wasn’t our idea. It was the UN / WHO.

    23
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    Mute Ed Mooney
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    Apr 13th 2012, 12:33 AM

    A smoking ban was introduced in california and a number of US states before ireland. So this part of your conspiracy is not quite relevant as we are tiny in relation to 50 million or so californian guinea pigs. But the again the truth is out there…I love a good conspiracy theory

    14
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    Mute Olwen
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    Apr 13th 2012, 12:28 AM

    How patronising can someone get? Try living here Christine and see all those fantastic “internships” that our government have created.

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    Mute Kerry Blake
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    Apr 13th 2012, 1:15 AM

    14% plus unemployed what a fool she is.

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    Mute Reginald St Worthing
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    Apr 13th 2012, 12:05 AM

    Just so long as La Penn is not mightier than the sword. The upcoming French elections are worth keeping an eye on.

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    Mute Sean Mac Gabhann
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    Apr 12th 2012, 11:31 PM

    does someone want to tell her whats going on…. anyone.

    11
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    Mute Adam Magari
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    Apr 12th 2012, 11:32 PM

    Is Lagarde’s in touch with reality or spending too much time with Enda and IBEC?

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    Mute phantom duck Nibbler
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    Apr 13th 2012, 2:22 AM

    thats because shes a lizard

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    Mute Frank2521
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    Apr 13th 2012, 3:33 AM

    The Treaty will pass as everybody on the Croke Park Meal will want to guarentee their status. The unemployed don’t bother to vote – pity. The Irish are a pushover and the Political parties are corrupted by money – just look at Labour. All fat cats on huge pensions and all behaving like FF.

    10
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    Mute Reginald St Worthing
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    Apr 12th 2012, 10:00 PM

    Une fois de plus: Ferme ta gueule, Lagarde.

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    Mute Seah Kennedy
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    Apr 12th 2012, 11:06 PM

    GUBU shows how out of touch they really are on every level !!

    8
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    Mute Joey Dempsey
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    Apr 13th 2012, 8:34 AM

    Miss Lagarde is either delusional or miss informed! Job creation policies my arse. Perhaps she is not aware there is still 430k people unemployed, few if any are being offered meaningful options unless one counts this absurd Jobsbridge nonsense courtesy of the ever efficient FAS, this scheme is nothing short of exploitation with other schemes permitting claimants hold onto their payments with an additional 50 euro thrown in by various gracious employers, essentially the employer gets staff for as little as 1 euro per hour, the positions were intended to be training or up skilling positions but in fact most if not all are Management Positions but there is the added perk of Mentoring, good bless these gracious employers.

    Miss Lagarde should be cautious in offering any praise to our wonderful government. Zero has been achieved other than appeasing banks, increasing the cost of living, stalemate in the mortgage crisis and an impending implosion of the personal debt crisis lurking beneath the surface in Ireland. We think its bad now, I predict we have seen nothing yet, of course there are the lucky few who can purchase properties around the country at bargain base prices, its the damage left behind that led to these bargain base prices that concern me and should others.

    6
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    Mute Spectrum AV
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    Apr 13th 2012, 12:09 AM

    I think she’s planning a short holiday to West Cork in May……..

    5
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    Mute Mike Hall
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    Apr 13th 2012, 4:30 PM

    More patronising neo liberal claptrap from Lagarde representing the interests of bankers & the top few percent.

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    Mute Kiki Carney
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    Apr 14th 2012, 12:02 PM

    Deutsche Bank are looking for a trustee associate through JobsBridge on the FAS website. Ref. INTE-676914

    1
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