(FT.com) -- Brian Lenihan, Ireland's finance minister, said it was the "attack" on the euro that had prompted Ireland to seek assistance from the European Union and the International Monetary Fund.
In his first comments since the dramatic announcement that an EU-IMF mission was being immediately dispatched to Dublin, Mr Lenihan insisted Ireland's banks had "no funding difficulties" but said an aid package might be necessary if "further difficulties materialise".
He sought to reassure Irish depositors that their savings remained protected and dismissed opposition claims that he was surrendering Ireland's economic sovereignty.
"Ireland has been the point of the attack on that currency in recent weeks and it's important that we build up our defence and ensure that the currency itself is protected. And for that reason, the Irish government will fully engage with this process and work with the mission to ensure that everything possible is done to secure the Irish banking system," Mr Lenihan told Irish radio.
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