No IMF campaign for Donohoe, Varadkar says

James Cox

The Taoiseach has confirmed there is no campaign planned by the Minister for Public Expenditure to run to become the next managing director of the International Monetary Fund (IMF).

It follows a report from Bloomberg that Minister Paschal Donohoe was in the early stages of exploring a bid for the job.

Mr Donohoe is currently the President of the Eurogroup of finance ministers, but if he was to join the IMF, he would have to leave politics.

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar said Mr Donohoe remains committed to his current role.

"I think it's important to bear in mind that the IMF has a managing director in Kristalina Georgieva, and she hasn't decided yet whether or not she's going to seek a second term," Mr Varadkar said.

"So this issue doesn't arise at the moment, but what Paschal says to me is that his intention is to run again for the Dáil in Dublin Central and to stay on as president of the Eurogroup."