Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party) | Oireachtas source

I am not in a position to put comprehensive questions to the representatives of AIB for the simple reason that I was in the Dáil Chamber for the past hour and a half. I had the chief executive's opening statement in written form. It has been arranged for a very long time that the banks would come in this week. I ask the Chairman to protest to the Government Whip's office about the clash of scheduling caused by its organisation whereby many people on the Oireachtas Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform have to be in the Dáil. There will be a vote at some stage. A similar situation pertains tomorrow morning, when the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform is up for questioning, and I must be in the Dáil for Priority Questions while representatives from Bank of Ireland appear before the committee. It is highly unsatisfactory. Could the Chairman protest so that this does not happen again?