Paschal Donohoe, the Republic's Minister for Public Expenditure and the president of the Eurogroup of finance ministers, in London on Friday. Photo: Chris Ratcliffe/Bloomberg
Mr Donohoe was at the Mansion House in the City of London’s financial district for a fundraising lunch for the Britain branch of the Ireland philanthropic organisation. Event organisers pressed the 250 wealthy business leaders in the room for donations towards the Ireland Funds’ charitable activities; pledges appeared to be hurtling towards the £100,000 mark even before the lunch main courses had hit the tables.
“We were in a period of moderation that was unique” before the last big financial crash of 2008, Mr Donohoe said, as he warned that geopolitical upheaval was the norm earlier in the 20th century and would be the norm again going forward. He insisted the Republic’s economy would cope with whatever was thrown at it.