Get best debt deal... or stop the repayments

IT’S PRETTY rare that a Government TD cries “hear, hear” during an opposition member’s speech.

But Fine Gael TD Peter Mathews did exactly that recently when Independent Stephen Donnelly was on his feet talking about our bank debt problems.

The occasion was the visit of European Parliament president Martin Schulz to the Dáil. Schulz, who is German, gave a well-received speech stressing the need for EU solidarity, particularly in the context of easing the burden of Ireland’s bank debt.