Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

In the case of Aer Lingus, it is not an analogous position because the State retains a shareholding in Aer Lingus. The State does not have a shareholding in the financial institutions and for that reason, it is not possible to amend company law to elevate these directors to some peculiar status. I hope some day that Deputy O'Donnell will have the honour to sit in an Irish Government and he will realise that the public interest can be learned there and in some of the senior posts in our Administration far faster than in the private halls of commerce.

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