Joe Higgins (Dublin West, Socialist Party)

Apparently, it is a leap of madness that these people should be free from their debt and the economy should be freed up. Rather than paying the bulk of their incomes to the banks, these people should be free to spend their money on services in a way that would create tens of thousands of desperately needed new jobs. The Taoiseach thinks that is a leap of madness, but he does not think it is a leap of madness to give €80 billion or €90 billion to bankers and bond holders whose private debts for private profit we have no responsibility for. The Taoiseach needs to get real. He said he is intent on listening to different ideas. Why did the mortgage arrears working group not bring in home owners and mortgage holders who are in distress?

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