Joan Burton (Dublin West, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The letters concern my former constituency colleague, Brian Lenihan, and are very poignant in that context. People may remember that period. It was a very snowy winter and Brian, as we are all aware, was unfortunately ill with an illness to which he would succumb. It is very poignant to see the letter released.

From a political perspective, all of this arose from a fatally flawed decision to have a blanket bank guarantee. I, along with the Labour Party, opposed it, but most of the other parties here did not. I do now know about the Independent Deputies at the time. Those who were in the House at the time supported the guarantee.

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