Fine Gael MEP for Ireland North West, Jim Higgins, has launched a scalding attack on the Government and its handling of Irish banks.
“Next Tuesday the Economic and Monetary Affairs Commissioner will meet all Irish MEPs in the European parliament in Strasbourg,” Mr Higgins said. “I welcome that Commissioner Rehn recognises the need to include the Fine Gael opposition, as the future leaders of the country, in the important discussions due to take place.
“I and the entire world have been closely following Ireland’s fragile fiscal situation and the progress of the negotiations in Brussels. Unfortunately I and everybody else have had to rely primarily on speculation as our Government remains tight lipped on Ireland’s future.
“Cowen’s Dáil address was nothing short of useless; the lack of any specifics, his refusal to accept responsibility for Ireland’s woes or resignation was pathetic.
“The current Government and its bank guarantee will be recorded as one of history’s biggest blunders. We are now in a situation where the State is inextricably tied to our festering banks and we all must pay for the Government’s failure to regulate greedy bankers during the boom years.
“Our unemployment rate is above 13 per cent and there is little prospect of it dropping much below that figure in the next year,” he added. ”An estimated 100,000 people are expected to emigrate by 2014 and we are facing the worst budget in the history of the State and this is supposed to inspire confidence in our indecisive Government to negotiate favourable terms for Ireland and to protect our precious corporate tax rate?
“The Irish people are entitled to know how far negotiations have gone with the EU, IMF and ECB. I think we can all admit that they’re not coming to Ireland for the scenery.”
