A group of TDs have announced their support for debts to be written off, both here and in Greece, and criticised the government's refusal to engage with the idea of renegotiating Ireland's debt burden.
The Dáil members, 11 in total, are welcoming the proposal of a 'Debt Conference' by the Greek Syriza political party, to write off some of the country's loans.
The group said: "We wish to convey our solidarity and hopes for victory for Syriza in the elections now underway in Greece.
"We welcome the initiative which Syrizia has raised of an EU debt conference along the lines of the London 1952/53 conference which cut Germany's debt by 50% and introduced a long term easy plan for the balance."
It comes as Greece prepares for an election on Sunday - where Syriza are reported to be the most popular.
Earlier, the Taoiseach said the Government here wouldn't be looking for a similar move on Irish debts.
Enda Kenny says asking creditors to tear up Ireland's debts would create instability that Ireland cannot afford.
Joan Collins from the United Left – who supports calls for a debt conference - says the Taoiseach is too focused on complying to the wishes of Europe and has become “politically and personally ... more of a mouthpiece for Europe.”
“We heard Ms Lagarde saying the Irish people were the best people in the world because they’ve taken the brunt of the austerity - but the impact it’s had on people and families, and we’ve seen that with the huge turnout in relation to the water tax,” she said.
Several TDs have said the government have refused to entertain the possibility of Ireland renegotiating its debt burden.
Richard Boyd Barrett TD said the call for an international debt conference in Europe exposed “the spinelessness of the Fine Gael/Labour government’s position on Ireland’s crushing debt burden.”
“Syriza are doing what our government should have done but pathetically failed to do – demanding justice on the issue of odious bankers debts being foisted onto the backs of ordinary people,” Mr Boyd Barrett said.
In the Dáil today Gerry Adams TD asked the Taoiseach if Ireland would call for a debt conference. The Taoiseach’s reply was a firm, ‘No’, which he later expanded on saying that it was not the government’s place to interfere in the affairs of an election in another EU state.
Mr Adams released a statement this evening saying the Taoiseach’s position “is a deep disappointment” which “further underlines this Government’s complete refusal to negotiate at European level in the best interests of the Irish people.”
Mr Boyd Barrett added that the government have “done their level best to kill the issue of Ireland’s crushing debt burden as a political issue and an issue for debate. But with more than €8 billion due to be paid out this year alone in interest on an odious debt, Ireland’s debt burden remains by far the biggest obstacle to meaningful economic recovery in this country.”
The 11 TDs who have signed the letter supporting the debt conference plan are: Joan Collins; Clare Daly; Thomas Pringle; Maureen O'Sullivan; Mick Wallace; John Halligan; Seamus Healy; Richard Boyd Barrett; Joe Higgins; Paul Murphy; and Ruth Coppinger.
