Hi °C | Lo °C New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg has given a ringing endorsement to Taoiseach Enda Kenny's progress in restoring the economy, describing it as a "miraculous turnaround".
Mr Bloomberg said Ireland under Mr Kenny's leadership has "come together, addressed their fiscal issues, planned their future".
Mr Bloomberg was speaking at a St Patrick's Day breakfast he hosted at the Gracie Mansion in New York this morning.
"And what they've done that's different to other countries in Europe is they come up with a plan. I don't know if it's the right plan or the wrong plan, but once they did, everybody got behind it and that's what you have to have.
"The Taoiseach talked about government, I wish our government worked as well as the Irish government, we'd be a lot better off, so enough said," he said.
Mr Kenny presented the Mayor with a teapot crafted by a Traveller from Co Mayo.
The Taoiseach is on the first day of a week long trip to the USA, taking in six cities.
Later today, he will march in the New York St Patrick's Day parade - the largest in the world outside of Ireland.
