Timmy Dooley (Clare, Fianna Fail)

-----to the serious measures taken by the Government, which with some limited support from the other side can bring some order to the banking situation. Clearly, it is vital that the banks are stable, well financed and capitalised in a manner that will enable support for our economy. We need to bring closure as quickly as possible, notwithstanding the very considerable costs to the taxpayer. It is vital for the future survival of the economy to have those banks supporting viable business. Members on all sides have met people who have lost their jobs because their employers have been unable to get credit. There are many non-viable enterprises that will not survive what was the bubble, but there are those that are viable and have the potential to sustain employment, and we need to get behind them.

The members of the alternative government are at odds on how the banking system can be restored to a healthy position. Last night, there were some suggestions from Fine Gael that the extension of the guarantee was the right thing but it could not find it in its heart to support it on some minor technical issue.

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