Honohan = LIES and more LIES. And Maybe An A4 Brown Envelope Packed With CASH??

reland's banks should be sold off to foreign owners to quicker clean up the debt crisis, the country's top banker has said

Banks 'should be sold off overseas' Enlarge photo

Patrick Honohan, governor of the Central Bank, also claimed a new government will be able to change the terms of the 85 billion euro IMF/EU bailout.

The banking chief said getting overseas investors to take over the homegrown banks that survive the current economic mess was looking like the best option.

"Increasingly, it seems evident that placing the continuing parts of the system on a firm footing can best be done through the involvement of new foreign owners who can bring capital, risk control and other management skills," he said.

In a speech to the Institute of International and European Affairs (IEA) in Dublin, he said such a move would "short circuit" measures needed at the moment to reduce the banks' financial risk to the state.

These measures could be prolonging the clean-up process, he said.

Mr Honohan said the prospect of international investors being attracted to Irish banks was "not unreasonable". He added: "I look forward to welcoming new owners of Ireland's downsized and cleaned-up banks."