Enda Kenny (Mayo, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Boyd Barrett asked about the European Court of Auditors report and the Commission's response.

This is 120 pages long and obviously it will require some reading. Certainly, there was no self-criticism of the Commission's actions in the financial assistance programme. At the same time, the Court of Auditors noted specifically the unprecedented nature and extent of the financial crisis. In that context, it stated that the assistance programmes were mostly soundly based and that the Commission's capacities for dealing with the programmes improved over time. We were first out of that gap, as Deputy Martin will be well aware. It is fine and true to say that was always there in terms of the banks, but when the banks were deemed to be worthless one had no other option but to ask, "How will we be able to recoup what the Irish taxpayer put into this?" That is why €60 billion was put aside as an option under that facility. As the Deputy will be aware, matters have moved on strongly since then.

See this speech in context