Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)

The Tánaiste should tell mortgage holders that he will introduce legislation to force the banks to pass on the ECB interest rate cut that is expected to be announced today. That is what people wanted when they elected a Government. They asked it to act on behalf of their interests, not the banks'. It is nonsense for Ministers to say it is pathetic that banks do not pass on the ECB's interest rates. The Tánaiste is in power. He has the power to cut social welfare rates, child benefit and one parent family rates. He also has the power to instruct banks to pass on this rate, so he should act on behalf of the public interest.

See this speech in context