Nine out of 10 Irish business leaders want to stay in euro
MORE than nine out of 10 business leaders want Ireland to remain in the euro but most of them would like to see other countries leave, according to a survey by Grant Thornton.
Curiously, Irish business leaders are among the most optimistic about the prospects for their economy over the next 12 months. Just 12pc see things getting worse compared with an EU average of 17pc and as much as 62pc of Spanish business leaders and 48pc of Finnish leaders. Germans and Poles are the only people inside the EU who see things getting better.
Irish business leaders are less inclined to believe the euro has been positive for their companies than their eurozone counterparts. Just 70pc of domestic managers said entry had been positive compared with 78pc in the eurozone and more than 90pc in Finland.
Businesses in Finland, Germany and the Netherlands are most eager for some countries to leave the eurozone at 50pc, 40pc and 24pc of leaders respectively. Only 28pc of Irish businesses agree.
When it comes to expanding the 17-nation eurozone, Irish business leaders -- at just 20pc -- are among the least enthusiastic.
- Thomas Molloy
Irish Independent
