Debt campaigners to meet governor

Members of the Ballyhea Says No campaign are to meet the Central Bank governor Patrick Honohan today to discuss Ireland’s debt burden.

The citizens’ group will join forces with MEPs and TDs from the Dáil technical group in an attempt to alleviate the bank debt burden.

The focus of the meeting at the Central Bank is to discuss the promissory note aspect of Ireland’s bank debt and the €25bn in bonds held by the Central Bank.

The delegation will be made up of Ballyhea Says No representatives Diarmuid O’Flynn and Fiona Fitzpatrick, MEPs Luke ‘Ming’ Flanagan and Nessa Childers, and TDs Peter Mathews and Stephen Donnelly, who represents the technical group.

The Ballyhea Says No group has marched in protest to the imposition of €70bn of private debt on the Irish people every week since March 6, 2011.

Mr O’Flynn surprised many with his impressive performance in the European elections in May when he fell just short of picking up a seat in Ireland South.

Despite the lack of a party machine behind him, Mr O’Flynn polled more first-preference votes in the first count than outgoing Labour MEP Phil Prendergast and Brian Crowley’s running mate Kieran Hartley, but was finally eliminated on the 10th count.

He has since ruled out any chance of running in the next general election.