Eurogroup welcomes Irish talks with ECB and IMF.

With 'contagion' threatening to spread from Ireland's insolvent banking sector to other peripheral European countries such as Portugal and Spain, the EU has welcomed the advent of talks between Irish finance minister Brian Lenihan and the bodies who would support an Irish rescue. Support has been offered to Ireland, and it is now up to the Irish government to decide whether such a mechanism is needed. Distributed by Tubemogul.