Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 15 January 2015

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis

Context Phase

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

He stated that while the stability goal was given explicit priority, the potential conflict between the two goals complicated choices. Let us be concrete about that. The promotion of the financial sector must mean inviting banks in and encouraging existing banks to flourish. The banks' raison d'étreis the maximisation of profit. The property bubble was the site for making the quickest profits, therefore, blowing the bubble bigger was in their interest. Is there an irreconcilable conflict between promoting this on the one hand, which the Financial Regulator was tasked to do, and on the other hand strong regulation that would restrict such profiteering?

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.