Gerry Horkan (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Does Mr. Broderick believe that State ownership in the long term would be a good thing or that it should be in the fullness of time wound down? Does he think it is better that the Government has ownership or involvement with the banking sector or not?

I am only the general secretary of a union. I am not going to give a political speech about what is in their interests. The reality, however, is that by its very nature the Government will have more involvement in the banks in the short to medium term. That is the reality. Even in the Bank of Ireland there is still a 10% ownership. There is a value there and it will be there for the medium term. The Government should not lose the opportunity of using it to influence what it wants out of banking while it is still there.