Jim Glennon (Dublin North, Fianna Fail)

I wonder did the Sinn Féin Members, who castigated Fianna Fáil last night, raise the same level of concern within their own party with regard to the criminal activities that took place. Everyone knows that activities such as money laundering, protection rackets, smuggling and bank robberies took place. Bank robberies for political fundraising is not a recent phenomenon. I had the misfortune to be on the receiving end of such a raid more than 30 years ago, at a time when they began to emerge as a fundraising phenomenon. I did not hear any acknowledgment of such activities last night on the part of Sinn Féin Members.

Since 1997 in particular, this country has made huge strides. We have made remarkable progress and such progress automatically brings with it a tension with environmental standards. A natural, physical tension exists and all must strive strenuously to get the balance right between economic progress and appropriate environmental standards.

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