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Bruton bailout

Minister says people vented austerity frustration through the ballot box A Cabinet Minister says Irish people did not take to the streets to protest austerity because they got to vote for change instead. Richard Bruton says an early election is one of the reasons why Ireland has been able to implement difficult decisions over the last three years. Cabinet Ministers are today holding a series of press events to mark the official end of the Irish three-year bailout. The Jobs Minister says having an election two months after the bailout was crucial in keeping public support. "Part of the reason is...that there was an election at an appropriate time and people did have an opportunity to express, in the ballot box, their frustration with what had happened" he said. "I think...people had a chance to shape an alternative approach" he added.