Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

Bhí mé ag éisteacht leis an Taoiseach agus an Teachta Martin. Sílim go bhfuil siad caillte. Níl said ag éisteacht leis an bpobal ag an uair seo. Tá fíor-ghá ann ag an bomaite na polaiteoirí, na baincéirí agus na Státseirbhísigh a choimeád cuntasach.

Yesterday, when I asked the Taoiseach what he intended to do about the shameful behaviour of the untouchables in the banking system, he said: "The buck stops with the Government and I am going after them." Will the Taoiseach explain how he will do that? Since he came into office he has pandered to the banks. Every measure introduced by Fine Gael and the Labour Party has given a veto to the banks. The Taoiseach is not listening to the people because this is a matter of intense public frustration. Five years later nobody has been jailed for their role in bankrupting the State. Both the Taoiseach and the Dáil have been talking about establishing an inquiry into these matters for years. It is all talk. There is no action. Ní fiú tufóg mhuice é.

We need to understand that politicians, bankers and civil servants must be held to account. The most important inquiry is the criminal inquiry into the corrupt criminal wrongdoing. The Garda and the Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement have been investigating this for almost five years.

The Taoiseach knows that if these people were not rich or well-connected and were ordinary citizens, there would be no delay in prosecuting them. Yesterday, the Taoiseach confirmed that the Anglo Irish Bank tapes were seized by the Garda from the bank over four years ago. The State has bailed out Irish Nationwide, Irish Life & Permanent, EBS, Allied Irish Banks and the Bank of Ireland. Do any tapes from these banks exist?

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