Ireland expects Europe to cut the interest rate it is charging on some 40 billion euros worth of loans at a summit at the end of this month and will also seek greater flexibility from Brussels on dealing with its banks.
In comments released by state broadcaster RTE on Sunday, Ireland's new prime minister said the results of stress tests on domestic lenders would bolster Dublin's case for a cut along the lines of the 100 basis point reduction won by fellow euro zone struggler Greece on Saturday.
"There were a number of elements that were not absolutely clear to me yet which we will have clear hopefully before the big meeting on the 24th and 25th of March, which will make our case very clear for a similar treatment," Enda Kenny said in comments recorded on Saturday night.
"It's not just the interest rate it is flexibility in other matters in relation to the banking structure that we need assistance on as well."
Ireland's new government, swept into power two weeks ago, believes the country's banks are placing an unsustainable burden on the state and wants Europe to give it more time to shrink the sector and more help meeting its capital requirements.
European leaders agreed on Saturday to cut the interest rate on loans to Greece and strengthen the region's bailout fund to try and defuse a year-long debt crisis.
Ireland, which agreed to an 85-billion-euro ($118.2 billion) joint EU/IMF rescue package late last year, did not get a similar reduction after Kenny refused to give in to pressure to raise the country's 12.5 percent rate of corporate tax, viewed as anti-competitive by higher tax European nations.
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