THE TAOISEACH surprised many – and possibly even himself – when he succeeded in getting a specific mention of Ireland into the first paragraph of the brief concluding statement issued by EU leaders at the June summit.

Minister for Finance Michael Noonan managed to build on this success at a meeting with European peers last Monday – euro zone ministers agreed to strike a debt-relief deal with Ireland by an October deadline (which, crucially for the Government, is before the Budget). If Kenny’s coup was seen by some as little more than a lucky break, it’s becoming increasingly difficult to maintain a sceptical stance in light of this type of tangible result.

The question is, though: are the Government’s recent achievements down to dazzling diplomatic skills, or is there something else at play here?

One theory goes that the EU powers-that-be are desperate to deliver a so-called bailout success story and realise that Ireland might just be that poster child. Can Ireland make it third time lucky at Friday’s Eurogroup meeting? The get-together is set to be dominated by Spain, as euro zone finance ministers are due to finalise the country’s bank rescue.

If Ireland manages to shoe-horn itself onto the agenda yet again, even the naysayers may have to admit it’s more than just good luck.