Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

The Government is acting positively and proactively to try to ensure it fixes the system in which it is clear there have been systematic institutional failures with regard to the banking crisis. This is precisely what the Government is doing. As for the Deputy's position, I sometimes wonder whether it is about maintaining an atmosphere of total negativity here regarding the economy and its prospects and whether that is his priority, rather than trying to see whether the issue can be dealt with.

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