Paul Murphy (Dublin South West, Anti-Austerity Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The Second Stage debate was not as unanimous as the Minister suggested. In the Minister saying the Second Stage position was not so far from the Government's position, there is a bit of rewriting of history going on regarding the Bill, which we supported. On the first night of the debate, the Minister said if we took the total value of the Irish taxpayer's holding in the banks, the publication of Deputy Michael McGrath's Bill decreased it by 10%. Does the Minister stand over the statement or does he withdraw from it? If he is saying the Government's position is not so far from the position of the Bill, how can it be explained?