Mr. Seamus Boland:

I wish to acknowledge Deputy Fitzmaurice's remarks. We certainly had some fun travelling around the country together dealing with another matter. On this matter, let us be clear. Irish Rural Link is asking that this is solved because if we walk away from it and decide to leave the pillar banks the way they are and protect them at all costs then job creation in rural Ireland will not happen and the financial health of rural Ireland will not improve. There are problems to be solved and regulations to be drawn up. We proposed a public banking system. We could have sat outside the gates of Leinster House and done what lots of other groups do, namely, make loads of noise but offer no new proposals. We put forward a very detailed proposal. It could be argued that we risked getting our heads cut off and, in a sense, the Department tried to cut bits off the proposal. However, it is still on the table. When it has been proven to be useless and a better idea is on the table, we will be quite happy. Right now, however, Ireland needs a local public banking system.