IMF Dublin Diary

The diary of an anonymous IMF official working in the Department of Finance in Dublin. No longer updated, it became the book The Eighty-Five Billion Euro Man.

The IMF and Dept of Finance enjoy a Berlusconi bunga bunga party

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October 26, 2012

In honour of Silvio Berlusconi’s prison sentence here’s an excerpt from The Eighty-Five Billion Euro Man where he entertains the Dept of Finance and IMF.
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Dermot willing to learn to make bombs to become President

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September 20, 2011

IMF Dublin Diary: Dermot stopped by. He hardly spends any time in the Dáil. “It’s so depressing,” he says. “They actually eat in that awful canteen.”
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An unpleasant experience in the toilets for our IMF diarist

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August 5, 2011

IMF Dublin Diary: I had an unsettling experience in the toilets today as I washed my hands at the sink.
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A private conversation with Minister Howlin in his toilet

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July 25, 2011

IMF Dublin Diary: Mr Howlin just called me in to the Minister’s toilet for a private conversation.
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Taoiseach dissuaded from wearing ‘I own the Pope’ t-shirt to summit

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July 21, 2011

IMF Dublin Diary: I travelled to Brussels with the Taoiseach for this morning’s emergency Euro zone summit.
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Impressive resolve as staff boycott newspaper they don’t read

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July 6, 2011

IMF Diary: There will be even less work than usual carried out in the Finance Department today. No one has time for anything but Twitter as they boycott a newspaper they’ve never bought.
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Heart-warming Independence Day party in Finance Dept

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July 4, 2011

IMF Dublin Diary: I have been very moved this morning to find that the Department of Finance arranged a surprise Independence Day party for me.
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Second bailout review hears unusual banking strategy

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June 30, 2011

IMF Diary: My IMF colleagues are coming back for the second quarterly review of the bailout. A small part of me still entertains the faint hope that they will take me with them when they leave.
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Another farce with the French as Kenny refuses to ‘faire la bise’

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June 24, 2011

IMF Diary: Another farce with the French in Brussels last night. I doubt now that the bailout interest rate will ever be reduced.
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Finance officials fly to Athens to wave IMF money at Greeks

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June 21, 2011

IMF Diary: There is a celebratory atmosphere in the Department of Finance again this morning. I cannot  figure out why but clerical officers in beachwear are high-fiving each other and drinking cocktails.
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