Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

Does the Minister not understand that when someone who has not paid a fine of €250 ends up in Mountjoy prison, someone who drives a truck into the gates of Leinster House ends up before the courts within 24 hours and bankers responsible for bringing the State to its knees and costing taxpayers €50 billion have not been brought before the courts it genuinely gives rise to a sense of public outrage, utter confusion and undermines confidence in our legal system? Can the Minister clarify that the information sought from the Garda Commissioner about our laws to deal with white collar crime and the self-serving announcement made by the Minister, Deputy Gormley, a few days ago that an internal group would examine the extent to which our laws are adequate in this area is an admission that, despite 13 years of Fianna Fáil in government, we do not have laws of sufficient rigour to ensure bankers responsible for the debacle and catastrophe with which we are confronted are brought before our court in the same manner as bankers are brought before the courts, prosecuted and convicted in the United States? It is an example of the gross failure of successive Fianna Fáil Governments in this State.

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