Ireland potentially being seen as a rogue EU member:

• Veto Lisbon
• Blocking EU budget reform (i.e. CAP)
• Tax predator
• Anti-competitive protectionist policies

The reasons for (justifiable) greavances are piling up.

If looking after the national interest, labels you as a rogue EU member then do we really want further integration into it.

As for the Brits they aren't even in EMU so they have some neck giving out about us.What about all the Irish deposits in Northern Rock.Tax and Spend brown is only pissed off because the UK budgetary position is far,far worse than ours (nevermind all the offbalance sheet PPI''s !!?? they have) because of his policys ove rthe last 10 years and he couldn't posibbly move to guarantee all deposits,bonds,interbank lending in the UK.(god knows what little secrets await in canary wharf for the UK).

From the posturing and language one would have to guess that EU will block the Irish Gov's move here. However you can expect full backing for any foreign takeover of any Irish bank busted in the fallout.
The language about UK "doing it right" was particularly galling.
As for Ireland being the cause of german bank collapse, the german banks came here to gamble, and lost, don't blame the casino.

Starting to look like we should have backed Russia in that Georgia escapade.... sure maybe we can host their missile shield.

edit: Gecko - not directed at you but UK reaction in particular. Friends?

No need to get tetchy. I am just making observations about Irish policy and the increasingly apparent reactions from other EU member states.

Listening to Sky News radio and the top story is that thousands of British savers have inundated Irish banks.

Post Office deposits in UK covered under the scheme thru BOI. No wonder Gordon is pissed!

A lot of joe and josef soap do not want Lisbon, not our fault we live in democracy.
Aren't UK the biggest supporter / beneficiary of CAP, with France following behind?
Tax predator... maybe!
Anti competitive? sure we are a little neutral country we need to protect ourselves...

An interesting development. Consider the scenario:

European citizens swamp Irish banks with deposits.
European banking system goes into systematic collapse.
Irish banks fail
European citizens get mass bail out from Irish taxpayers.

Marvellous.

The drinks are on us Fritz, Francois, Luigi, James.

Doesn't bear thinking about, does it?

It took an extra gin to get me to sleep last night worrying about how all the high-rollers would be paid back and how that would feel as a taxpayer. Can I get a bailout for my liver please?

But surely that epic fail is less likely with all that money swilling around?
Can't EU citizens put there money wherever they like?

Sure they can. But Brian Cowaen has promised them that you, yes you, will pay them back if they lose it.

But how can this be? Are we not the model economy for the Eastern Europeans? Haven't we shown just how a poor agricultural forelock tugging peasantry can be brought to the peak of prosperity and urbane sophistication thanks to the altruism of civilised Europeans?

Why, my dear chap, 'tis heresy whereof you speak

What's more. Cowen says Sarkozy supports the move:

http://www.lse.co.uk/MacroEconomicNews. ... _bank_plan

Looking after irish interests purely because they are irish and pretty specific irish interest at that, and doing so at the greater expense of other european countries (and the vast majority of the population here) will merely start something the irish are going to lose over the long term.

So personally, i'm in favour of the EU preventing it, rather than retaliating in kind - ireland needs a level playing pitch to stand a chance over the long term.

The scheme as it stands puts non protected banks who are culpable of the same predatory lending practices at a distinct disadvantage.It gives members of the protected a chance to play 'double or quits' in a last shuffle of roll up roulette with your money covering the spread.Ulster Bank have been the main financiers of the Tower of Dreams in Ballsbridge.imho the bailout as presented in it's present form will prove the most socially destructive piece of legislation passed by the Oireachtas.Simply put we have moved from "dangerous talk" to fiscal sociopathy in a few short weeks.Saorstat Chiquita.

It is worth remembering that the UK is Ireland's key ally in the tax harmonisation debate. It also stuck up for Ireland over Lisbon, despite ratifying the treaty itself.