Guess how long it takes to pick up €50bn?

FINANCE Minister Brian Lenihan repeatedly accuses the Irish media and political opposition of negativity and talking up the Irish financial crisis. So should we muzzle the media, and create a one-party-state?

When challenged on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that in 2008 he described the Irish bank bailout as “the cheapest bank bailout in the world”, he qualified this by saying – five times – the cheapest “so far”.

He also says we cannot penalise the senior bondholders because we need them to borrow more money to keep the economy afloat. This sounds like blackmail. They charge us exorbitant interest rates while demanding that we let them off the hook for their reckless financial gambling.