Michael Fitzmaurice (Roscommon-South Leitrim, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have with me a letter that I received this morning. According to it, the Minister and the Taoiseach have been sent copies. A couple with a house in Lucan is being kicked around by the same bank that supposedly gave others favourable treatment. The couple's loan has been sold. The list of directors at the various companies that buy secondary mortgages off the likes of IBRC makes for interesting and sickening reading. The same people's names crop up time after time. That couple has repeatedly tried to repay their ordinary mortgage. They wanted to do a deal and the loan has been sold on at a reduced rate, but the company will not listen because it wants to get its pound of flesh.

We cannot continue in an Ireland like this. Transparency must come to the fore and we must ensure that, at long last, a nod and a wink will not let someone get away with whatever he or she wants. There must be a new type of politics. Deputy Ross was right. For the Opposition, this is great and will last for a long time whereas the Government will try to kick it out, but that is not what this should be about. Who gets elected or not should not matter in this instance. Only the people of Ireland should matter, the people in every corner of the country who have seen 250,000 of their children emigrate because of others using authority in ways they should not and abusing the system.

Yesterday, Deputy Pearse Doherty raised issues that may be relevant. I understand from the Minister that they can be covered by the inquiry, but let us be clear in the terms of reference and include them. Let there be no doubt. Let us ensure that we do not follow the alphabet only to E or F, but right to the end so that we do not consider just half of the story. We must read the full book and, for once in this country's life, do something right.

In a few weeks' time, ex-taoisigh will attend the banking inquiry. There will be a big hoo-ha, but what will we have at the end? Will anyone announce that someone did something wrong and that he or she will pay the price? If one does not pay a television licence immediately, one will be thrown into Mountjoy Prison. If one gets away with hundreds of millions of euro and, in many cases, places that burden on the people of Ireland, one gets a clap on the back. This is not the Ireland in which I or many others want to live. They want to see an Ireland where there is transparency, people do things right and matters are handled in a new way.

I urge the Minister to include everything in the terms of reference that needs to be included. Let us have no doubt about them. This is not a question of opposition and government. This is about doing something right. This is about listening. This is about setting an agenda for a new Ireland and a new future that shows people that the Dáil is not just a talking shop, but that we care and want to do something right. I urge the Government to do this from now on.

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