Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The question needs to be asked as to what step forward the Minister has made here. If the principle was that this debt should not be placed on the shoulders of the Irish people, how has this agreement brought us forward one iota?

The reality is that last Wednesday this House, in an echo of Fianna Fáil's most disastrous spell, rushed through far-reaching banking legislation that will have huge consequences. We can only hope that as time goes on, this legislation will prove not to be as ill-thought-out and its consequences will not be as dramatic and brutal for the Irish people. The Government provided for two hours of statements on Second Stage and 15 minutes of debate on Committee Stage before it announced that this motion will be discussed over a period of four days. This motion on the promissory note will not become part of law and will not be dissected in the courts. It is not legally enforceable in the High Court or in the Supreme Court.

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