Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The banks cost the consumers, who are the citizens of Ireland, €14,000 per person as a result of the bailouts. The credit unions have not cost that type of money. People did not need to be protected from the credit unions. As I noted yesterday, my party believes in strong regulations that are in the interest of citizens and credit unions and that recognise the unique sense of the credit union movement. Does Ms O'Rourke think it appropriate to impose the same type of regulatory structure on some of the most risky lenders, which have been the banks in the past, as on low-risk lenders in the credit union sector? I am not dismissing the fact that credit unions have become involved in riskier products. Does she contend that regulation should be one-size-fits-all?