John Halligan (Waterford, Independent)

Listening to the debate last night and tonight, if an observer closed his eyes and listened to the Government benches, he would think he was back four months listening to Fianna Fáil backbenchers agreeing again to the financing of the banks and another bailout.

When the Government was elected, it was at pains to say the people had voted for change, for a new way of doing things and for policies that would benefit Ireland, not Europe, Germany or Holland. Everyone in the country, including every economist, has a vision or an idea of what this bank bailout is about and has an opinion on it. Is the Minister seriously suggesting to me that the people wish to give the banks another cent? Is he delusional? Is he listening to the people? It is astonishing to suggest that we can give them another €24 billion.

One of the Deputies across the Chamber suggested the Government has the mandate to do this, but the Government has no mandate to do this because those in the Government stated time and again when they were in Opposition, sitting over here, when they spoke on RTE television or radio or on local radio stations, that they would not give the banks one more cent. This is what they said when they were in Opposition and there are multiple quotes to this effect in newspapers such as The Irish Times or The Irish Daily Mail. They stated they would not do it but now they are doing it.

There are hundreds of thousands of people on the dole queues, there are workers this Thursday or Friday who will take home a miserable wage and live a miserable existence because they have no quality of life and there are families, including thousands of children, who have been forced to emigrate from this country. Yesterday in this building I met representatives of Unite who, perhaps, will be fighting to preserve the jobs of thousands of bank workers who may lose their jobs in the coming years because of arrogance, avarice, greed and the compulsive gambling of our money and the Government's money. Are we to suggest to the people that we are sorry but that we must help these people out again? These are the people who continued to mislead the country. They told us lies. Some of these executives still drive around in 2011 Mercedes cars while they discuss chopping workers and throwing them onto the dole heap. Are these the people we are to support?

What happened to all the election promises? Some four months ago, the Minister was quoted as calling the EU-IMF deal a downright obscenity. It is regretful for me to have to take on the Labour Party because I genuinely believe it stands for justice and fair play and I have no hesitation in saying as much. However, the Minister stated on RTE Radio 1 that they would not give one more cent to the banks.

What is this referendum about? It is a single vote on an issue that affects everyone in the country. It will truly represent the wishes of the people. Either it will give the Government the authority and approval to continue the same policy that the Labour Party and the Fine Gael Party described as a national sell-out or it will force the Government to look for other options. A resounding "No" would send the message to Europe that we cannot afford and will not accept a bailout. At least we could use it as a tool for the Government to negotiate a significant drop in the interest rate.

The people deserve a Government that will act in their interests rather than in the interests of other Governments and European overlords, what it is doing at present. A referendum would settle this matter once and for all and the people deserve as much. Were one to ask any Joe Soap in the country what he wants, he would say as much. They do not want any more money given to the banks.

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