Kenny accused of ‘charade’ over promissory note deal
People Before Profit TD Richard Boyd-Barrett made the accusation as he called on the Government to tell the ECB it will no longer honour the massive debt.
He dismissed claims from within the Coalition that failure to secure a deal could lead to a snap general election or impact badly on public sector wages as “calculated drama” intended to “soften-up” public opinion as the Anglo payment date of Mar 31 approaches.
The left-wing TD joined with other members of the technical group of Independents to push for a change in Government tactics over the issue.
Dublin South TD Shane Ross said it was time to turn Anglo into “Europe’s problem” by demanding a writedown of the debt instead of extending the repayments out over a much longer period.
The Independent TDs launched a Dáil debate last night to call for a writedown on the €47bn promissory note debt amassed by the State in the Anglo bailout. Mr Ross said a deal to extend the promissory note loan term would just pass the burden on to future generations.
“We will get a deal and we will get an absolutely token humiliating deal,” he said. “The Government is going to come out and sell a deal that is sending this promissory note to our great grandchildren. It will be a humiliating deal. It will extend and pretend, but it will not attack the real problem which is a write-off of the debt. I am dreading a deal which is dictated by Europe and which is expected so readily by this Government.”
Fellow Independent Stephen Donnelly said the Government needed to live up to its election promises that it would not pay another cent to Anglo.
“Last year, using smoke and mirrors, this Government paid €3.1bn to Anglo and it is looking like it is going to do it again.”
Mr Kenny told the Dáil the Government was working hard on a deal.
“It is not a case of any elaborate charade, this is a case of straight negotiation,” he told TDs.
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