Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

I showed the Deputy the courtesy of not interrupting her while she made many tendentious comments. I am seeking to reply to them in general terms. In 1929 there was a 31% unemployment rate in the United States as a result of a government decision to let banks fail. Were we to decide, for example, that Anglo Irish Bank should be allowed to fail - as has been advocated implicitly by some - the effect would be an immediate liability on the State of €64 billion.

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