We cannot survive Anglo bailout debacle

THE bailout of Anglo Irish Bank continues to rankle more than any other single factor in our list of grievances with the current government.

The sense that this bailout was unnecessary, impossibly onerous and only makes sense in the context of a golden circle which included the government protecting their own interests is one that persists. Recent revelations of Brian Cowen and Sean Fitzpatrick sharing a round of golf and dinner only deepen suspicions.

Would it not be appropriate now to ask that the list of bondholders for whom the taxpayer in this country is carrying the tab be disclosed? Why should we bail out anonymous investors who ought to have known they were investing in a risky venture in a private bank that had nothing to do with Ireland Inc?