Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

The Taoiseach has said he discussed the restructuring of banks with President Obama. I ask him to take us briefly through that conversation. Did he explain how German, French and other banks had recklessly gambled tens of billions of euro on Irish properties and then lost? Did he remind the President that his guy, Mr. Geithner, had vetoed the idea that these gambling banks should carry their own losses and generously offered that the Irish people would pay instead? It beggars belief that the Taoiseach would not raise this issue with the President, following on from his failure to raise the same or a related issue with the British Prime Minister, Mr. Cameron. This is the single most crushing burden on the people. Will the Taoiseach explain to the Dáil why he failed to raise these issues and the possibility of a major reduction in the debt with these two world leaders?

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