Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

Do these legislative proposals deal with banking regulation? The personnel in regulation simply do not understand what represents an abuse. The abuses are before their eyes but they are doing nothing about them. I do not want to engage in a lengthy process with lots of energy devoted to changing institutional arrangements when we need people who understand what they are doing.

In respect of the National Pensions Reserve Fund legislation, we have heard from Green Party Ministers, who I assume are bound by Cabinet responsibility, that those who have led us into these problems in the banks will not lead us out of them. Are they speaking on behalf of the Cabinet when they make those statements? It would be valuable for us to know that; these are Cabinet Ministers and I expect them to represent Government decisions.

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