WASHINGTON - The International Monetary Fund said Friday it did not believe Ireland would need to be bailed out from its fiscal woes.
"As we have said before, we do not envision that IMF financing will be needed," a spokeswomen said amid swirling rumors that Dublin would need to call on the IMF to stay afloat.
"The Irish authorities have taken assertive measures to deal with the banking crisis," she added.
"With the most recent policy measures, the authorities continue their support of the banking system and help maintain financial stability."
A research note by Barclays Capital on Thursday said that although Dublin did not need to draw on financial assistance from the European Union or IMF, at least for the time being, it stressed that "the government may need to seek outside help" in the future.
This would be the case "should further unexpected financial sector losses materialize or macroeconomic conditions deteriorate," Barclays said.
The Irish government had earlier said there was "absolutely no truth to a rumor" that aid would be needed and said the report had been misinterpreted.