Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour)

The Minister is a bit naive about the markets. I have lots of quotes from him about how well funded our banks were and I will read some of them out for him. Do not be naive about the markets; they glance at the bottom of the screen in regard to Ireland for a short period of time.

Can the Minister explain Commissioner Rehn's remarks as they relate to Ireland? If he is planning more austerity for this year, never mind the adjustments which are required next year on top of what people have already given this year, perhaps his colleague, the Minister, Deputy Ó Cuív, when he threatened old age pensioners with the removal of their contributory pensions, knew something which the Minister has not shared with the rest of us yet.

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