We payed out 16bn to bail out EU countries last summer, do we pay it again this year?

MMMartin

So without a hint of any objections, the Irish government agreed to pay €19 billion into the EU coronavirus bailout last year while only receiving €2 billion in return.

See: express.co.uk/news/politics/1317940/EU-news-Ireland-European-coronavirus-recovery-fund-budget-latest-update

I assume since these European countries are still in the same boat this year that we will pony up another €19 billion? Or maybe we should give more this time since that was just to cover the first lockdown in 2020 and Europe will have spent even more time locked down by this summer? If we are not going to pay it this summer, why did we agree to pay it last summer?

As far as I know no Irish government politicians even raised an objection to the amount of money we payed out. I thought we were still in the recovery period from the financial crash 10 years ago? Or was the financial crash of 10 years ago, that was supposed so be so massive that our grandkids would still be feeling the effects of it, completely overblown? If it wasn't overblown, I ask again why did we agree to pay out 16 billion a few months into a once in a century pandemic?

I would be very interested in seeing the following graph if it was rescaled to account for population size: cf.broadsheet.ie/wp-content/uploads/2020/07/Eddqtj_XYAIEuwh.jpg

We have been told we can't buy vaccines outside the EU agreement, and can't restrict European citizens from travelling here, if that was something we wanted to do. Well Germany bought additional vaccines outside the EU agreement, and they have also banned Irish citizens from travelling there.

A UK politician recently mentioned the possibility of transferring vaccines to Ireland when the UK has finished its vaccination programme and has surplus stocks. Here's what the EU said about that: “You cannot say at the moment whether it would be legal or illegal,” a European Commission spokesman said of the proposal. “The question of legality depends on the case at the time.” The spokesman said such a move could involve shipping “unauthorised products” into the EU. “Whether Ireland could rely on one of the derogations in the legislation that allows for the use of unauthorised medicines would depend on the situation at that point in time [FOR EXAMPLE], a scarcity with regard to the product that has been authorised in the EU,” he said.

So I suppose we will have to beg Europe for permission to use the extra vaccines then if it happens that the UK offers them to us at some point in the future?

Is there any politician in the Irish government looking out for the Irish citizen in Europe anymore? It will be very interesting to see how the government acts if the EU tries to take another €16+ off us this year. Going on past form, they'll just sign the cheque no questions asked.

I see sheep

Yawn

Parachutes

We put more into the EU monetarily than we get out of it for many years now. Coronavirus notwithstanding.

MMMartin

I see sheep wrote: »

Yawn

That was probably the same reaction MM gave when he was presented with a blank cheque and asked to put us on the hook for €16 billion. 'Yawn, what does it matter, it's not going to affect me personally in any whatsoever, where do I sign?'

suicide_circus

Best boys in the class

Sweet.Science

Money is irrelevant these days

Won't matter to the tax paying public

Austerity is so 15 years ago

Donald Trump

The Express you say, eh?

piplip87

We have still taken far more out of the EU pot than we have put in over the years. Without EU money for the past 40 or so year we would be in a lot worse shape

suicide_circus

That money could be going to the HSE....

Smee_Again

We paid in €16bn and received €2bn, how much is currently in the fund? Has it been fully disbursed?

Rodney Bathgate

Bit cynical wrote: »

Unnecessary.

All part of the tactics to discredit any one who questions the EU.

Donald Trump

Rodney Bathgate wrote: »

All part of the tactics to discredit any one who questions the EU.

On the other hand, there are plenty of people know the price of everything but the value of nothing

MMMartin

MMMartin wrote: »

So without a hint of any objections, the Irish government agreed to pay €19 billion into the EU coronavirus bailout last year while only receiving €2 billion in return.

See: express.co.uk/news/politics/1317940/EU-news-Ireland-European-coronavirus-recovery-fund-budget-latest-update

Without a hint of any objections - You were privy to the full four day summit and everything said therein, yes?

From the article

"The Brussels-based executive has estimated Ireland’s contribution to the fund would be €18.7billion over the next 30 years, according to Mr Donohue."

So what is it? 19 billion last year, or 19 billion total over the lifetime of the deal?

runawaybishop

There is so much incorrect and outright bull**** in the op. Who could even be bothered.

Richard Hillman

There are a lot of people that are still unaware of this. The media and government tried to sell it as a good thing "Ireland - Net Contributors in Covid bailout". The bailout was basically for the Mediterranean tourist industry and then the rest was to countries not too keen on the EU but are in it anyway, to curry favour.

Another year of the tourist industry closed and yes we will be asked again to bail them out.

Let's get one thing straight and a lot of people genuinely think that this will happen. The EU are not going to bail us out. There is no EU loan. We are loaning them money. That is how absolutely mindblowingly ****ed we are.

Smee_Again

Yakov P. Golyadkin wrote: »

So what is it? 19 billion last year, or 19 billion total over the lifetime of the deal?

You can’t expect the OP to get such basics correct, he’s got some outrage and misinformation to spread.

runawaybishop

runawaybishop wrote: »

There is so much incorrect and outright bull**** in the op. Who could even be bothered.

Ah sure if you post enough bullsh1t some of it eventually sticks in the mind with some people. Same type that won't have the mmr vaccine given to their kids because of something that they read on Facebook, others who just like to complain about everything etc.