Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein)

The Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, spoke last night of the harsh realities facing the State. His view seems to be that it is time to knuckle down and accept our fate. The McCarthy review of State assets was widely praised for its contribution to the debate on which assets to cash in, and Sinn Féin has this evening been given a rap on the knuckles for not appreciating the Government's solemn commitment to protect faceless Anglo Irish Bank bondholders.

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