Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)

I would like to have time to speak on our budget and on the European Union response to this because that is a significant issue. I may have to speak about it on another occasion.

People have rightly asked whether we should not have taken on the senior bondholders. My instinct is absolutely similar to that of others in the House in that I ask why the taxpayer should have to take all the hit. If one goes to experts and officials and asks whether the bondholders should share some of the hit with the taxpayer, the point made in return is that the legal circumstances in which we must operate prevent this and we must do things by the book and according to the law. Our legal structure is one of the strengths of our system. It attracts foreign direct investment and keeps investment here.

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