Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The point at issue is this. The same rules for banking apply in this country as throughout the rest of the European Union. The same opportunities must be available to borrowers and banking customers in this country as are available in other European countries, without exception. The rules of the Single Market apply right across the European Union and apply to this country no less than anywhere else. Can we invoke our membership of the European Union to try to ensure that we have sufficient interest in competition in banking here to enable our customers to have what is available to customers in other countries throughout the European Union? Sorry about all that, Chairman.