Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael)

I have a similarly dismal view of the Deputy's arguments. I find them similarly unconvincing. As regards the idea he continually peddles, which does not wash with people, that in some way I am protecting or standing over a guarded elite, he has been making that claim against me for long enough. It still does not wash. What I am trying to do is make a set of decisions that, in the round, are right for the long-term interests of the economy of Ireland. We have spent other points in our meeting talking about how we support SMEs. To support SMEs we need banks in this country that are willing to do so and lend to them in sufficient amounts and at interest rates that are competitive enough for those SMEs to make a difference. I have to consider that then in the decisions we make here. We have spent much of the afternoon talking about the need to build more homes, on which I agree. We need banks to do that as well. At the moment we have two large ones and a smaller one in PTSB. The reason I am making this decision overall to continue the banking levy to ensure that the banks continue to make a contribution is that I recognise the massive support the Irish taxpayer put in, at great expense and at a time when we were in such difficulty, to support the banks. That is why I am continuing the bank levy. The reason I am not supporting the policies for which Deputy Doherty has been making the case for many years is that I believe they would hurt our economy in other ways. Surely he can do me at least the courtesy of acknowledging there might be some serious policy considerations behind that without repeating the baseless claims he has been making for so long about me, which still the majority of people find unconvincing.