Michael Noonan (Limerick East, Fine Gael)

Until approximately five weeks ago, the Minister was holding to the €7.5 billion correction. Then, like a thunder clap, it jumped to €15 billion. He is now telling us for the first time he saw the emerging trends over the summer and was coming around to forming a firm opinion when the CSO figures became available in September. Did it ever strike him that he should have shared this information with the House and public rather than making a sudden announcement as if he had only discovered the requirement over the Corn Flakes in the morning?

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