Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael)

It goes to the very heart of the lack of fairness in this society in Ireland today under Deputy Cowen's disastrous reign as Taoiseach with his Government. It goes to the very heart of that unfairness and it cannot be justified. We cannot expect the Irish people to accept that the only sections that can get pay increases now are either those involved in NAMA or those involved in this bank, which is to be rescued again at an inordinate price when it brings in its disastrous results next week. What the Taoiseach has done is to link these pay increases to a defective policy towards Anglo Irish Bank where the Irish public will be expected to bail them out again to the extent of possibly €20 billion. I ask the Taoiseach to justify in detail the reason he and his Government sanctioned wage increases for staff members in Anglo Irish Bank?

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