Gay’s hatred of Europe is a road to nowhere

I should like to comment on Michael Clifford’s

Mr Byrne said that he is “against Europe”. In fact “I hate Europe. I hate the whole point of Europe. I believe we’re heading towards a totalitarian state of Europe,” he said.

In 2008, Ireland had the highest level of household debt (190%) in the developed world and had to be baled out by the self-same Europe that Mr Byrne hates.

We have returned, once again, to the horror of forced emigration, thanks to the loathsome ineptitude of corrupt (elected) officials in Ireland, who, in a masterpiece of stupidity, steered all of us onto the rocks and then, collectively, abandoned ship.

Not altogether surprising, considering that, in 2012, Ireland ranked 25th out of 176 in Transparency International’s annual ‘Corruption Perceptions Index’.

Gay should not be so quick to condemn Europe. It’s our only hope in the quagmire of economic fear and doom.

For a man who headed up a national organisation, the Road Safety Authority, to so forcefully knock the institutions of Europe that brought Ireland out of the potholed-bóithrín era and into the dual-carriageway era is, quite frankly, amazing.

Don’t be too quick to bite the hand that feeds you, Gay … in Ireland’s case, we most certainly will need that hand, once again.

We may even receive some valuable tips from Europe on how to begin to learn to shake off our reputation for bribery, corruption, political scandal, fraud and cronyism.

Paudy McMahon

Park Village

rue de la Semence 45/13

B-1080 BRUSSELS

Belgium