Anglo tapes cast shadow over our reputation

In my view one of the biggest successes achieved by the Government has been the significant restoration of Ireland’s very badly tarnished international reputation. For a country so dependent on tourists and foreign direct investment, what the outside world thinks of us is very important.

Up to 2008 we did not do ourselves too many favours, but we have rectified some of the damage.

Arguably, what the outside world thinks of us has assumed even greater importance as we seek to renegotiate the external debt, and particularly the banking-related component of it, and exit the three-year bailout troika programme and re-commence funding ourselves on the markets. In that context, one could become very conflicted about the desirability or otherwise of the ongoing drip feed of the Anglo Irish Bank tapes, which are creating consternation at home and abroad.