Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

We were not told. The Government introduced legislation on an entirely false premise. It had very substantial information which affected the status of Anglo Irish Bank and what we took on when we nationalised it, and the Government did not inform us about it. It is not a small matter. The consequences of all this for the public finances, the country, the taxpayer, jobs, business and our economy are enormous. I support Deputy Kenny's request that the basis on which the Bill to nationalise the bank was introduced in the House be debated here. The information provided to the House was certainly false. At the very least, the Government held back information it should have provided to us.

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