Public given ‘hope’ of bank debt reduction

A Government TD has criticised the Coalition for prematurely raising people’s hopes that Ireland would secure a reduction on its bank debt.

Fine Gael TD John Deasy said the Coalition had suggested during the referendum campaign that the fiscal treaty and bank debt were separate issues, only to link them after the result was declared.

He said the Government had proceeded to give the impression after last week’s yes vote that a deal on the debt was now more likely. But Germany and the ECB had quickly beaten that idea on the head, he said.