Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Thursday, 16 July 2015
Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis
Nexus Phase
Mr. Bertie Ahern:
Because we're talking about two entirely different things. We're talking about better regulation so that we're seen as a modern country, to be able to manage the funds of something like 100 banks worldwide as we have done successfully here even in the downturn. Our banks here ... our foreign banks who work in the IFSC, that employ 30,000 or 40,000 people are well regulated and that isn't about light touch, they are well regulated ... and they're seen internationally to do that. But we had to, Deputy, work hard for a quarter of a century as I did, as the Taoiseach before me did to win that reputation, and as a former Taoiseach, is there in the financial service industry today doing a good job on it. So I would almost resent, Deputy, if I can say it respectfully to you, the idea that our international financial services industry is considered to be light-touch in the way that you put it.
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