Brian Cowen (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail)

It opposed it today. The Deputy should not be trying to suggest, as he is, that it was the scope of the guarantee the Labour Party was against, even though none of the subordinated debt was called upon and much of it, incidentally, was discounted during the time it was in play anyway. However, Deputy Gilmore is now trying to be Mr. Responsible. He is playing the old populist game again by stating that he is against the guarantee because he is against the banks. This is the line he is playing and he is winning out there with it. He is winning because what he is trying to do is to tell people that they can have an economy but should not have a banking system. I am afraid it does not work that way. Nevertheless, the Deputy will get plenty of kudos from so doing because that is the way he has been carrying on. He is playing the old game and hoping to get a few votes out of it.

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