Socialist Party councillor Mick Barry this morning said that the Government's plans to hand over 715 million euro tomorrow for unsecured unguaranteed Anglo Irish Bank bonds represents a betrayal of ordinary Irish taxpayers.

He said:  "The Government plan to slash health, education and social welfare spending in the Budget yet are prepared to pay off unguaranteed and unsecured Anglo bonds in full.  It is a clear case of one law for the rich and one law for the rest."

Cllr Barry said the decision breaks promises made to voters in February's General Election campaign by both Fine Gael who said that there would not be one more red cent for the banks without bondholders being burnt and by Labour who stated that it would be Labour's way or Frankfurt's way on this issue.

He said:  "It is a clear continuation of the Fianna Fail/Green Party policy rejected by the voters in February.  We have ended up with the same circus, just different clowns."

Cllr Barry indicated support for calls for a referendum on Ireland's bailout deal in the wake of news from Greece that the government in Athens plan to hold a referendum on the new Greek bailout deal announced last week.

He said:  "I fully support the call for a referendum on the bailout just as I fully support a massive campaign of protest and resistance against the Budget cuts planned for December on foot of this scandalous bailout."

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