The Irish Taoiseach has categorically ruled out a fresh bail-out after his cabinet colleagues raised fears that the country may struggle to borrow money in the international debt markets. nda Kenny said Ireland did not need to top up the €85bn (£74bn) rescue package provided by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and European Union in 2010.

"There will be no need for a second bail-out. Ireland is involved in a bail-out deal with the IMF/EU/ECB," Mr Kenny said. "The bail-out programme runs to the end of 2013 and Ireland has sufficient money in all circumstances to deal with that."

Mr Kenny's comments come after Ireland's transport minister, Leo Varadkar, said Ireland would probably be forced to go cap-in-hand to the EU and IMF for an additional loan before 2013.

Fears have been raised that Ireland may find it difficult to find buyers for its debt when it tests the money markets in late 2012 after a two-year hiatus. Michael Noonan, the Irish finance minister, said: "We won't be fully back in the markets but we hope that the NTMA [Ireland's debt management agency] will be able to raise some private funds in the market in the last quarter of next year."

However, Brian Devine, an economist with NCB Stockbrokers in Dublin, said he still believed Ireland would have to tap the EU's permanent rescue fund in 201............Read more HERE