Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

The Minister and the Government are in charge. His Ministry was part of the favourite four during the previous Government's term. They are in charge of the banks and lending. Small farmers and self-employed builders who want to build houses for the housing crisis cannot get a bob - not a shilling. They are not working. We need banks that are community focused and financially viable. We put €69 billion into the banks. What did we get back? Two fingers every day of the week. They are not lending a penny. The Minister, the Minister for Finance, senior officials and the Central Bank are in charge. They are allowing the banks to absolutely run riot and to terrorise and torture people who, by their sweat and blood, had €69 billion taken off them and continued to be taken off them. We get sweet - I will not say what I should say - off them in return. It is not funny. It is so serious. The Minister said that he is not aware of the problems. A blind person could see the problems. The banks are not working, they are not lending and they have aggressive policies of hauling people before the courts where there are willing and able county registrars. It is a whole charade of terrorising people, creating sickness, suicide and, God knows, a trail of destruction. It is time the Minister woke up and smelt the coffee, or he will never be Taoiseach.

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