Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent) | Oireachtas source

How does this all look to the people of Ireland who may be watching tonight? Do they feel that they have a say in the way things are done in this country, in how their lives are organised? The people have come to understand that the big important decisions are now made by people who do not live here. Financial markets, financial institutions and auditors are the people who make the big decisions. Not everyone may realise how the philosophy of neoliberalism operates but the people know what effect it has on their lives and on the lives of their children. It does not prioritise their concerns, rather it prioritises the concerns and interests of the financial markets and all who flourish from their activities. This day will not bring any comfort to the Irish people. It is another episode of watching those who brought this country to the edge of ruin continue to be the dominant players. Democracy in this country, as in much of western Europe, is a fading notion.

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