Eoghan Harris (Independent)

I came in today hoping I would hear serious criticism of the Government's policy over recent days and all I get is the green flag being wrapped around by everyone, especially by the Labour Party, and talk about economic sovereignty. James Connolly stated that if one took down the Union Jack from Dublin Castle and put up the green flag, it would make no difference.

What is this blustering talk of economic sovereignty from the Taoiseach and from the Minister for Finance over recent days about? I come from people like peasant people who had to shoot the odd landlord to ensure the rents were kept calm in an area. The squeaky wheel got the grease they knew.

What is this stuff about sovereignty? The facts are simple. The Minister, Deputy Brian Lenihan, gave the banks a bailout on the best information he had. He acted like a patriot, I think his information was flawed, he probably got the nod from the ECB and he did his duty. So far, so good. It was wrong, it is now subsequent, the facts have changed and we realise that bailout may have been a mistake. No fault on him. He was acting on the best information he had.

Now we know what we need to do. The sovereign debt and Ireland's economy are fine. The banks are the problem due to the bank debt. What we need to do is go to Europe and say to the ECB that it gave us low interest rates, loaned us money, helped us to create a property bubble and now this is reality time. What we want it to do now is take away the bank debt. The ECB has zillions of euro; it has €1.3 trillion and this is a Mickey Mouse debt for it. Take the bank debt off our backs and allow sovereign Ireland to go on trading and creating employment for its people. What we need is straight talk from the Taoiseach and from Deputy Brian Lenihan. We need them to get in and get squeaky wheel with Europe, and get tough with Europe and state they are there to mind our people; not the green flag or something called sovereignty but the real people of Ireland. Look after them now.