Ares
28th November 2010, 09:31 AM
A MAJORITY of Irish people think their country should default on its debts, a poll reveals as a deal was struck on a multi-billion-euro international bailout.
Some 57 per cent backed a default on debts to bondholders in the country's stricken banks, compared to 43 per cent who opposed it, according to the poll carried out by Quantum Research for the Sunday Independent newspaper.
An agreement was reached today on a bailout worth about 85 billion euros ($115.6 billion) and will be adopted later in the day, a diplomat said ahead of a meeting of European Union finance ministers in Brussels.
The Quantum Research national telephone poll of 500 people also found that about two-thirds opposed the main measures in a four-year austerity plan unveiled by Prime Minister Brian Cowen's government last week.
Mr Cowen has insisted the plan, which aims to slash public spending by 10 billion euros ($13.6 billion) and raise taxes by five billion euros by 2014, is key to securing the European Union and International Monetary Fund loans.
Tens of thousands of Irish people took to the streets of Dublin on Saturday to protest against the austerity plan and denounce the bailout.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/majority-of-irish-want-to-default-on-debts/story-e6frf7jx-1225962374811
Some 57 per cent backed a default on debts to bondholders in the country's stricken banks, compared to 43 per cent who opposed it, according to the poll carried out by Quantum Research for the Sunday Independent newspaper.
An agreement was reached today on a bailout worth about 85 billion euros ($115.6 billion) and will be adopted later in the day, a diplomat said ahead of a meeting of European Union finance ministers in Brussels.
The Quantum Research national telephone poll of 500 people also found that about two-thirds opposed the main measures in a four-year austerity plan unveiled by Prime Minister Brian Cowen's government last week.
Mr Cowen has insisted the plan, which aims to slash public spending by 10 billion euros ($13.6 billion) and raise taxes by five billion euros by 2014, is key to securing the European Union and International Monetary Fund loans.
Tens of thousands of Irish people took to the streets of Dublin on Saturday to protest against the austerity plan and denounce the bailout.
http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/breaking-news/majority-of-irish-want-to-default-on-debts/story-e6frf7jx-1225962374811