Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats) | Oireachtas source

The result of the vote earlier has not changed anything in terms of a reply I received previously on this matter. What I am seeking is a cost benefit analysis and that the Dáil be the final arbiter in voting on this issue. It was the people who took on board the cost of bailing out the bank which is 99.9% owned by the State. Whether it is to be sold, we need to see a cost benefit analysis and to be convinced in that respect. As the Minister knows, we can often save money by spending money. We will spend a great deal of money on fines, for example, because we are not investing in public transport. It is costing a good deal of money in having very unsatisfactory arrangements for housing provision because we are dealing with a crisis. We are at the point where AIB is producing a dividend which, I understand, can be spent on, for example, capital projects. If we were to sell a portion of AIB to pay debt, the difference would be negligible in servicing the debt. I do not understand the rationale for doing so.

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