Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

——of the country. If it is being contended by those who would not even support the guarantee, let alone the recapitalisation of the banks, that we should allow that bank to default, clearly the situation would have been a greater liability for the taxpayer. We need to make sure Anglo Irish Bank gets on with its business, including the repayment of debts due to it.

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