Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

As for the matters that were raised today and yesterday, the Government took legal advice from the Office of the Attorney General and section 50 does not deal with this issue at all. It does not empower the Minister to intervene to prevent the bank from making a payment to its own pension fund, which it is required to do to ensure the pension fund can meet its liabilities to all staff.

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