My husbands firm was owed money by a firm in the Irish republic for years after the work was done. Then they wanted to tender for another order - and who do they come back to in order to get the next batch of oh so useful boxes?

How great was the gnashing of teeth at having to pay the money owed, and it finally arrived in the bank this last month, just in time to keep them in business.

The Irish firm won't get any work done before paying for it this time, that's for sure.

Ireland seems to have been getting easy money for a while and they've got used to it, but now it's all got to be paid for - and they don't like it one bit.