Former minister for finance Paschal Donohoe, left, pictured alongside Jack Chambers, Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, at a press briefing at Government Buildings on Monday to formally announce his resignation. Photograph: Damien Eagers/PA WirePaschal Donohoe was in a reflective and philosophical mood last Friday in Frankfurt what would prove his last visit to the European Central Bank (ECB) as Eurogroup president. Donohoe said he never approached such reforms as political theorist but as a finance minister who knew first-hand “the stark challenges in taking difficult decisions”. It was proposed in the euro crisis to obviate future bailouts through harmonised European banking rules and common oversight to spot problems early and weaken connections between private banks and the national governments. “We must throw our hats over that wall and commit to delivery,” he told the ECB gathering.
