Brian Hayes (Dublin South West, Fine Gael)

Since September 2008, every statement by the Minister on the banking situation has proved to be incorrect. Every estimate of the final cost has had to be revised upwards. It has now reached such staggering levels that the solvency of the State itself has been called into question. As Professor Kelly said recently when writing about this crisis, we are now depending "on the kindness of strangers". The Government's response to the emerging crisis in the State's finances this autumn has exactly mirrored its response to the banking crisis. It continued to deny there was a problem, even though nobody was prepared to lend money to it other than at high rates. In recent weeks, the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance deceived their own Cabinet colleagues and treated the Irish people as fools. Every citizen of this Republic has a right to be angry with this Government's handling of events surrounding the EU-IMF bailout deal. We are a proud people and we do not like to be made fools of. We do not like our Government to be made eejits of on the international stage, personified most by the Minister of State with responsibility for Europe.

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