Munster Express Online

Dear Sir,

The greedy bankers have now just about destroyed the very social fabric of Irish society. Tax payers in Ireland have been left with a bill of nearly €50 billion, over €10,000 for every man, woman and child in this destroyed country.

Almost on their own, Seanie Fitzgerald of Anglo Irish Bank and Michael Fingleton of Irish Nationwide Building Society have brought the Irish economy to its knees, helped along and allowed to do so by the incompetence and gutlessness of Fianna Fail and some high ranking civil servants.

What Fitzpatrick and Fingleton have done can only be described as treachery against the State. I believe that the full strength of this State ie: the Garda Fraud Squad should be brought done upon their heads, for fair minded people demand common justice, and that is that retribution be handed out.

The fear amongst the Irish people is palpable and the anger justifiable for it is not the bankers, developers, speculators and politicians who caused this to happen who will have to pay the price. As a result many more thousands of our citizens will be delivered into poverty, thousands of our brightest will have to emigrate, essential public services will be ravaged and an already floundering health service will descend into chaos. People will die.

Many progressive elements in this country who time and time again called for the nationalisation of our banks were scoffed at and scorned upon. ‘Reds under the bed and the Lefties brigade’. We were told that it was unconstitutional to nationalise the banks. Now at the behest of the people who caused this problem we are told that this can now be done.

All the signs were there to be seen over the last ten years. Bankers were allowed to borrow huge amounts from foreign lenders unregulated, Anglo Irish Bank made huge losses as a result of massive loans to developers and speculators who have now gone bankrupt. The very vast majority of investors were not working people but rich investors out to make profits at any cost.

The greatest threat at present to the Irish state having faced down subversives and criminal gangs is the banks. Their greed, arrogance and avarice may very well drive this economy to third world status.

Isn’t it ironic that an irate citizen crashes his truck into the gates of Leinster House, is questioned for twelve hours in Garda custody and is then brought to court within a twenty-four hour period while the people who crashed this State stroll the streets of our country contemptuously ignoring the pain and suffering they have brought upon all of us.

Yours faithfully,

Cllr John Halligan,

47 Johns Hill, Waterford