Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)

-----the old guard are back to their old ways. They are trying to call the shots. This week we saw that AIB wants to appoint the same person as chairman and chief executive - that is, an executive chairman - to appoint a managing director internally, and to exceed the cap on salaries. The Taoiseach said to Deputy Kenny yesterday that the Government intends to insist on compliance with the cap, which I was glad to hear. However, one newspaper reported this morning that the Minister for Finance went to Cabinet seeking approval for the salary sought by the bank - that is, €633,000. Is this the case? Will the Government allow AIB to appoint the same person as chairman and chief executive, and what level of pay will be approved for that post? Will the Government allow AIB to appoint a managing director internally? Can the Taoiseach tell the House how many executives in the guaranteed banks are paid more than €500,000, which is the salary cap the Government wants to apply?

See this speech in context