Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

I thank the Minister for his comments. I still believe the Minister is foolish not to be tougher with the banks. He has a once-off chance, although there is likely to be another opportunity when he is to put large capital injections into both banks. He is foolish not to show that he has legitimate demands on the banks to improve their act in favour of ordinary customers, small and medium enterprises, first-time buyers and pressed home owners.

Senator Ross's book has a chapter about the people who are the "spoofers" of the boom. These are the people who puffed up the boom. A significant number of these people were employed as banking economists. I remember Dr. Dan. Dr. Dan was the man who used to appear on "Morning Ireland" and we would not be able to contain the graph inside the globe, such was the ever upward trajectory.

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