kokopuff

Hello, Just started my metabolism course and it's been about a year since my last biochemistry course so I've got to refresh myself on some of the basics. In a section of my textbook that was talking about the regulation of metabolic pathways, it said: "The first committed step [of a metabolic pathway], being irreversible, functions too slowly to permit its substrates and products to equilibrate. (if the reaction were at equilibrium, it would not be irreversible)" I'm a little confused, wouldn't an irreversible reaction be faster than a reversible one since the product is not continually being converted back to the initial substrate? Irreversible reactions are highly exergonic, so I assume that they would occur more easily and frequently than reversible reactions, is that not correct? Also, isn't the part in parentheses redundant, or am I missing something? Thanks for your help!