Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein)

Tá sé ag éirí níos soiléire go mbeidh méid mór airgid á n-íoc ag an Rialtas le Anglo ag deireadh na seachtaine seo agus ag an uair chéanna go mbeidh bochtanas ag ardú de bharr pholasaí an Rialtais. Nach bhfuil sé fíor nach mbeidh aon buntáiste ansin do ghnáth saoránaigh atá ag fulaingt faoi mheáchan an Rialtais agus de bharr an pháirt glactha ag an troika? The Oireachtas Joint Committee on Finance, Public Expenditure and Reform was briefed yesterday by the Governor of the Central Bank about the promissory note debt to Anglo Irish Bank. It is clear now, as the Taoiseach told us many times, that the Government intends to pay in full the €31 billion promissory note to Anglo and that it will pay Anglo €3.1 billion later this week. Will the Tánaiste confirm that Anglo will purchase an Irish Government bond at an interest rate of approximately 7% and does he accept that this interest rate is higher than would be paid under the promissory note? Will the Tánaiste also confirm that this agreement will not involve any write-down in the principal debt to Anglo and will actually lead to an increase in the State's overall sovereign debt? To help Sinn Féin understand, is this what the Tánaiste meant when he said it would be "Labour's way"?

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