Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)

I thank the Minister for his reply. When he uses the word "culminated" in regard to the bank crisis, is he still talking about a September 2008 end with respect to the investigation? Do we not have to learn whether the response to this crisis was adequate, just as much as we need to learn whether the preventative strategy in place before the crisis broke was adequate? Why should people's accountability end when the crisis breaks? Was it not the case that both the regulator and the Governor of the Central Bank were assuring the public that the banks had no solvency problems throughout the period after September 2008?

Do we not need to investigate the adequacy of the information flow to those people who are so advising us? I put it to the Minister that it is equally important that we learn whether the responses we now make to the crisis are correct as to look back in history to whether a preventative strategy could have been better. Will the Minister allow the investigation to extend beyond that arbitrary date that the Government has used in the past?

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