Joan Collins (Dublin South Central, People Before Profit Alliance) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach started off by saying the document was a major signpost to economic recovery over six years. Two sentences refer to the recapitalisation of the banks. It is said it “may” be decided on a case by case basis. The issue is not high on the agenda, but it should have been at the forefront of the document that we demanded a write-down of the debt, on which everything depends. We are talking about a figure of €64 billion. We are depending on international bond markets and interest rates remaining low. The inflation rate will go up if the United States stops printing money. We require 4% growth in the next ten years and everything depends on outside factors. This is one area in which the Government has a responsibility to the people to take the €9,000 debt burden from around our necks and relieve the situation in order that we can then consider the provision of cochlear implants and the health service. I do not accept what the Taoiseach said.

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