James Bannon (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)

Exposure to the Galway tent from the inside must be a shock to those of a sensitive nature. It seems that the Minister is hell bent on destroying the modus operandi of Fianna Fáil politics, which is commendable and very welcome.

The corruption that led to sectors of the country flouting planning laws and bending banking laws must be stamped out. I appreciate the Minister's efforts and he has our full support in that regard. The wealthy called the tune, reaping the benefits of the Celtic tiger years and now low and middle income taxpayers are picking up the tab. However, it is difficult to have confidence in the Minister, Deputy Gormley, when as soon as he announces a crackdown on bankers' pay, his colleague the Minister for Finance, Deputy Brian Lenihan, pulls the rug from under his feet in the blink of an eye. The Minister for Finance has shown the Minister's words to be empty rhetoric. Guaranteeing that banker's pay would be capped, while knowing that the Minister for Finance had already rejected the idea——

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