Delivered to the abyss, not the promised land

PROFESSOR Patrick Honohan became Central Bank Governor a little over a year ago.

He came to us Moses-like to deliver us to the promised land. He had two things to do for Sean public, tell us the unvarnished truth about the banks and the financial crisis and get the numbers right.

He fulfilled the former role admirably when he rang in to Morning Ireland to set the record straight when the Government, now in disgrace, obfuscated not for the first time.

On the latter, numbers, he told us horrendous figures for the bank losses and the country’s projected debt, but told us they were manageable.

On Monday week last all changed when in an interview with Richard Crowley he told us five things we did not want to hear: the numbers were much worse than he had expected, worse of all, he would no longer tell us as it really is, thirdly we will be in severe financial hock for a decade or more, fourth he would not say if the debt was manageable, and fifth we must stick to the current EU/IMF plan.

In refusing to accept the “appalling vista” now facing the country, that the current EU/IMF plan will not work, and that our situation will become much worse the longer we stick to the plan, he has now become our pied piper, delivering us not to the promised land but instead over the cliff into the abyss.

Lance the boil.

We may be ill for a bit, but the sooner done the sooner we can begin to get better.

Kevin T Finn

Mitchelstown

Co Cork