Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I think that Oliver Callan will have a field day this weekend when he addresses the Minister's paltry answer. This has gone on for years. We see that the courts do not give protection to the families on these tracker mortgages either and the Central Bank is toothless, useless and totally fruitless. I suppose the banks brought some nice fruitcake in to the Minister for Finance, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, when they came in yesterday for their nice little cosy chat. This is nonsense and a reply of total poppycock from the Government. The banks know that the previous Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan - and I wish him the best of health - just totally ignored it. The new Minister has been in place for some time - the Minister opposite has been in government for nearly seven years - and absolutely nothing has been done. The bankers are friends and supporters of the Government. Members of the Government play golf with them and cannot deny that. The Government will not hurt them at all. Were it to slap them, it would ask how hard it was slapping them in case they were hurt altogether; child protection laws and everything else.

The Minister has to act. Derision and the Taoiseach standing up to call it "shameful" is not enough. The Government must deal with the banks. There is no banking regulation in this country. They have run riot. We were all forced in here in September so many years ago to vote to save the banks but all we got back was the two fingers every time and to every customer. This is not the only robbery that is going on. We are used to seeing gardaí and couriers minding the cash but now the robbers are inside behind the counter. I do not mean the ordinary tellers but those who are deep in the board rooms. Where are the public service directors? They seem to have no function and if they are getting a salary, it is a shame. People are being robbed blind and it is time for the likes of Ned Kelly to resurrect himself for Tipperary. This is outrageous and the Government has shown the families no mercy. Notwithstanding the scale, the Government will do nothing other than to arrange a strong talk from the Minister. That will do nothing without serious action and legislation. If the banks are charged a levy, they will only pass it on to the customers. It is downright, naked fraud.

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