Danny Healy-Rae (Kerry, Independent) | Oireachtas source

First, I thank the delegation from AIB. While I thank them for reversing their decision, I do not thank them for thinking of it because it would have stripped bank branches, such as those in Kenmare, Cahersiveen, Dingle, Castleisland and Killorglin of cash. It was a ridiculous idea and it frightened the living daylights out of ordinary, country people in those glens and valleys around Kerry. It was reprehensible to think that people from Valentia Island would have to come into Killarney and Tralee, which are 55 or 60 miles away. People were outraged that this may have been the scenario they were facing into the future for the rest of their days.

I am glad that on that Friday, Deputies Mattie McGrath, Michael Collins and I visited the AIB headquarters in Molesworth Street and I have no hesitation in saying that we were prepared to stay there for a long time. Had the decision did not come through and had there been no change, we maybe would still be there today. People and entities make mistakes. I heard Dr. Hunt saying on a number of times on the radio that in his time, he will not go back to that idea. I ask him to make that commitment before members at this important Oireachtas committee and to again give that undertaking to those people who were going to be affected by this idea to strip the bank branches of cash. What kind of a bank do you have? Do you have a pub with no beer? A bank branch with no cash certainly would not serve the people who I represent and who I know across the length and breadth of the county that I represent. It was a scandalous idea. That is the first thing that I ask Dr. Hunt to commit to here today, that is, to say he will not go back to that idea while he is in charge. I hope that for that reason alone, he will be charge for quite a while.

The other question I have to ask relates to the fact that the people bailed out the banks ten or 12 years ago, as did the Government. As I understand it, the Government has a 70% share in AIB today. How long before the decision the bank came out with was made or before it was publicly announced did the Government know about it? I ask this because the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe, said he was blindsided by it. The media came out the following day to say the issue had been resolved but that the Government had been aware of it for a considerable amount of time before the announcement had been made. Was the Minister blindsided or did he show a blind eye to it? There is no shadow of a doubt that it would help Revenue’s case to collect more revenue, if everything was transparent. If, for example, you bought a box of matches, it should show in a document somewhere that you bought that box of matches.

The worry I have is how much involvement the Government had in that decision. I ask the witnesses to tell us what they know about that.