Dearey expresses anger at cancellation of Trichet meeting

Senator Mark Dearey has hit out at the decision of the Chair of the European Affairs Committee, Bernard Durkin, to cancel the scheduled meeting with the President of the European Central Bank, Jean Claude Trichet on Monday. Senator Dearey was due to meet with the ECB’s most senior official in Frankfurt today along with other members of the European Affairs Committee to outline Ireland’s position with regard to the EU/IMF terms and conditions and to make the case that it would be better for all of Europe that Ireland succeed in emerging from the debt crisis with a thriving economy and that it is in everybody’s interests that the terms are restructured on a Europe wide basis.

“While I welcome the fact that Michael Noonan and Enda Kenny met with President Baroso on Friday last, I was puzzled and annoyed at the decision of Mr Durkin, a Fine Gael TD, to turn down this opportunity which has been in the planning for the last six weeks, to meet with the financial head of Europe.

“The European Affairs Committee members had prepared for the meeting having met with Karl Wheelan, an economics professor at UCD, who assessed the merits and the weaknesses of the current arrangement. We need to use every diplomatic opportunity available to us to make the case for better terms for Ireland and I was looking forward to playing my part in that. I am deeply frustrated at the cancellation, but I hope that in government Fine Gael show more appetite for engagement with Mr. Trichet.”