Kieran O'Donnell (Limerick East, Fine Gael)

That is the equivalent of three times the budget of the Department of Education and Skills. The money is down the toilet - it is gone. It would have cost €2.5 billion to set up a good bank, as we proposed. The only difference is that we wanted professional investors to take their share of the pain. What has happened here? The taxpayer is taking it. Services for children, the elderly and the vulnerable will be affected.

I commend this motion to the House-----

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