EU kicking us when we’re down just isn’t on

Following the yes vote in last week’s referendum, government ministers were cock-a-hoop on the prospect of having the Irish bank debt reduced by our European partners.

Taoiseach Enda Kenny, was insistent that “the bailout for the bust banks — more than €46bn — must now be included in wider efforts to kick-start the European economy”.

Junior minister Brian Hayes subsequently clarified that figure to be the €34bn, gobbled up by that earlier darling of the chattering classes, Anglo Irish Bank.