Mattie McGrath (Tipperary South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The public will not be fooled any longer. I compliment the Irish Independent on raising the scandalous and disgraceful events in respect of revelations about Anglo Irish Bank and the massive public deception members of senior management perpetrated upon the Irish people from 2008 September until this day and for generations to come. The BBC and the whole world is discussing what is going on Ireland. Describing it as causing shock, nausea and teeth-grinding anger is putting it mildly indeed. The Taoiseach said he understands the rage and upset of the Irish people and that he can appreciate the anger out there. I very much wonder, after his reply to the last number of questions.

The Taoiseach also said he wants to make sure the promised new legislation to hold a banking inquiry will be sufficiently comprehensive. That says a lot. A spokesperson for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which is sponsoring the inquiries Bill, said that under its terms Oireachtas inquiries would not be empowered to make findings of individual culpability. The committee will only be able to inquire into the facts surrounding the banking collapse. Is this what the Taoiseach means by sufficiently comprehensive? Why can the authorities not refer to the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act? There are plenty of articles in it for people who act dishonestly or set out to mislead. Why the cover-up and the delay? We must have individual culpability and we must disregard the nonsensical pleadings of senior management that they were not party to any strategy to mislead the Central Bank when we have it in their own words that they set upon a reckless and deliberate deception that has cost this country and its people dear. The dogs in the street know that. The Tánaiste says he had no idea the tapes existed of senior figures discussing the bank rescue fund and the subsequent bank guarantee. How credible is this? We all know conversations with banking institutions are recorded. Are we to seriously believe that five years into the farce, not one person in government thought to ask whether there was a record of conversations in this crucial period?

The Minister for Finance is sitting beside the Taoiseach. When he took up the job, he must have had discussions with senior management of the bailed out banks. Was he lied to, along with his predecessors and previous Ministers? What answers did he get and did he ask the questions? If not, why not? Was the Minister for Justice and Equality informed the tapes existed? He seems to be informed of every other triviality so I am sure he was informed of this.

Does the Taoiseach agree with the chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party, Deputy Charles Flanagan, that the Oireachtas is not the appropriate forum for the banking inquiry? We need a short sharp commission of inquiry with no politicians involved, hand-in-hand with a robust criminal investigation that is fully resourced and efficient and assisted by police forces from abroad if necessary. Will the Taoiseach agree to take this course of action on behalf of the public so many years later in light of the election promises he made?

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