Economist Colm McCarthy has suggested that the Irish government should sue the European Central Bank (ECB).

It relates to the he decision by the Irish state to repay unsecured bondholders tens of millions of Euro apparently at the insistence of the ECB.

The author of An Bord Snip Nua report claims the ECB threatened to withdraw liquidity support from the other Irish banks and that this may have been outside the powers of the Frankfurt-based institution.

Mr. McCarthy wrote in the Sunday Independent yesterday that the Irish State should take legal action against the Bank for forcing its hand on the issue.

He explained to Breakfast here on Newstalk why we should take the ECB to court.