Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The European monetary system did not work. The euro did not work. This was never an Irish crisis on its own. We know that now and to suggest that it was is dishonest. I urge Deputies to read Kevin Rafter's book, which is good in terms of explaining the inner workings of the Fine Gael operation and how its members had to label things. The mantra was that this was a Fianna Fáil banking problem and they had to keep saying that, no matter what. They had to keep saying it on every television and radio programme. That is fine; it is the way things are in elections. However, I did not expect it to continue 21 months on. The situation is serious.

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