Ruth Coppinger (Dublin West, Solidarity) | Oireachtas source

I am sharing time with Deputy Boyd Barrett.

The expression "fake outrage" has been mentioned. Fianna Fáil Deputies certainly must have to go to acting classes because trying to generate an emotion around these issues must be extremely difficult for them. The same applies to those in the Labour Party who were in government with Fine Gael for years while this lack of pursuance took place.

I would love to say that the acquittal of Seán FitzPatrick has been greeted by working-class people and ordinary people with collective outrage. Actually, it has been greeted with a collective lack of surprise because there is little or no faith in the Minister or any of the majority parties in this Dáil, to deal with this.

It is quite clear of late that there are elements of a banana republic around this State when we consider the crises with the Garda, the church and so on. There is probably an element of disappointment on behalf of the Minister and some in the establishment in Fine Gael, Fianna Fáil and so on. There is an argument that they needed to jail at least one significant person in connection with the bailout. Lo and behold, one of those significant people has gone.

This investigation was foiled due to the historical subservience of the establishment to big business and the lack of concern about white-collar crime in general. It simply confirms the view of many people that there is one law for white-collar crime and another for blue-collar crime; one law for the rich and another for the poor. Indeed, there is no law for the rich – let us be frank.

It would appear that the only things senior bankers got sentences for were life sentences of fat juicy pensions. Can the Minister point to how many people have been prosecuted in connection with the bank bailout? I think the number could be counted on one hand – it is minuscule. However, the downfall of the banks was caused by the cutthroat profit motive that exists in the banking sector. The previous Government and the Government before that operated light-touch regulation in the sector. They were quite happy to see vast profits being made by the banks with minimal regulation. This led to extraordinary mortgages – of up to 40 years in some cases – being heaped on the back of ordinary people. This was well documented by my colleague, Joe Higgins, in his minority report at the banking inquiry.

The Minister says she is serious about white-collar crime. All these developers have now had their act cleaned up in NAMA. Either they are back on their feet or they are getting back on their feet. Some are even getting State hand-outs. I am not referring to the land that the Minister for Housing, Planning, Community and Local Government, Deputy Coveney, is talking about gifting. I am referring to Activate Capital, which is getting money from the Ireland Strategic Investment Fund, and some of the big developers who were involved in the crash. Not a word has been said about them. It is all perfectly legal and there is nothing illegal about it. Never before have so few people paid for such serious crimes. Let us consider the toll taken on health, education and special needs services. Only this morning the Tánaiste invoked the excuse that we had no money for years and that was why we have a housing crisis now. The State had money but it was put into the banks. The amount was €64 billion in total.

The Office of the Director of Corporate Enforcement is a convenient scapegoat. Obviously, what happened should be investigated and any incompetence should be dealt with but the office is completely under-resourced. Is the Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation for real? Fifty people were investigating the biggest crime that took place in this country in a decade of austerity. The staff in place were completely inexperienced when it came to dealing with criminal investigations. The lead investigator was never involved in a criminal investigation. Gardaí were not in place to take statements from witnesses. Of course, errors were made in the context of under-resourcing, staff numbers etc.

At the same time, however, many Garda resources were put into fighting people over the water charges. A total of 200 people were arrested at the time. Vast resources went in to challenging the people who were challenging austerity. On the same day that Seánie FitzPatrick was being led out into the lovely sunshine, ordinary people from Tallaght – I will not comment on the case, of course, because it is sub judice- who were involved in a protest over the very austerity that was resulting from this white collar crime were facing court. I will not comment on the details but already one 16 year old has been criminalised for that, in stark contrast to what has happened to Seán FitzPatrick. That is not lost on people. It is certainly not lost on the people who voted for the Labour Party, Fine Gael or Fianna Fáil.

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