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State of the Nation
Was Ireland lied to?
Here’s everything you need to know about what’s happening in Irish politics right now…
Updated 12.25pm
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Everyone’s talking about…
“NO SINGLE EVENT led to this crisis, it was the cumulative effect of a series of decisions over an extended period of time.”
That quote from banking inquiry chairman Ciarán Lynch at yesterday’s press conference sums up much of what the report said, and perhaps what we already knew.
Of course, one of those things we knew was how the ECB made it clear to Ireland that burning bondholders was not an option.
The banking inquiry reports that the ECB made the specific threat of removing Emergency Liquidity Assistance for Irish banks in 2010 should the government attempt to burn bondholders.
Questions are now being asked about whether the government was up-front about how Ireland was treated by the ECB.
Today’s RTÉ Morning Ireland played a recording of a debate from November 2011 in which Finance Minister Michael Noonan denied that the ECB had threatened Ireland
“On the basis of no threats, no, they don’t operate that way,” the minister said. “Jean-Claude Trichet is a perfect gentleman.”
There was never any statement that the bank wouldn’t continue to support us and they have been very helpful to us elsewhere.
Noonan subsequently clarified during the inquiry that threats were made.
Speaking on the same programme, Fianna Fáil’s finance spokesperson Michael McGrath stopped short of saying that Noonan misled the Dáil but said that he should correct the Dáil record.
He didn’t tell the full story in that Dáil exchange, he shouldn’t have waited four and a half years after March 2011 to tell the Irish public the nature of the exchange with the ECB.
This morning, Secretary General of the Department of Communications Mark Griffin faced questions on the adoption of the Eircode system.
He confirmed that ambulances will be starting to use the codes but acknowledged that he didn’t know how much it was cost the National Ambulance Service to update their systems.
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The agenda
- The main business of the Dáil today will be approximately four hours of statements on the banking inquiry, starting at 12.40pm.
- Children’s Minister James Reilly faces questions on his brief from 9.30am.
- Department of Communications officials face committee questions from 10am about the Eircode system.
- The bill that criminalises the purchase of sex will be debated in the Dáil this morning.
- Leaders’s Questions is at noon.
- In the Seanad, a bill that changes the name of the Commission for Energy Regulation to the Commission for Regulation of Utilities will be debated.
What the others are saying
- The Irish Independent reports that the age at which children can legally leave school will be raised to 16.
- The Irish Examiner says that David Begg accused Clare Daly TD of abusing her Dail privilege in criticising him.
- The Irish Daily Mail says that the judge who found against Michael Lowry said he ‘deliberately misled’ the Moriarty Inquiry.
In case you missed it
- The report of the banking inquiry was published - here’s a summary.
- Michael Lowry lost a case in which he sought greater costs arising from the Moriarty Tribunal.
- Dáil business was briefly delayed when not enough members were present for it to begin.
- Gerry Adams paid Margaret Thatcher a compliment as he berated the Taoiseach about the health system.
- Labour’s Alan Kelly predicted his party would win “well in excess” of 15 seats at the general election.
- Health Minister Leo Varadkar sought a review after a doctor who confused an ankle and an elbow was found guilty of professional misconduct.
- In the US, Donald Trump pulled out of the final Republican debate because of the presence of Fox News reporter Megyn Kelly.
- In France, the country’s justice minister quit after a huge row about terrorism.
- Gerry Adams, meanwhile, was present at the National Wax Museum to unveil a waxwork sculpture of himself.
https://vine.co/v/iiEavEDJlmY
Good day for…
Ciarán Lynch. Okay, so it may have been tortuous but you’d imagine the banking inquiry chairman has a weight off his shoulders today.
Bad day for…
Michael Lowry. After losing his High Court case, the independent TD could be facing millions more in legal fees.
On the Twitter machine…
The good, the bad and the ugly.
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