Paschal Donohoe (Dublin Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

In what Deputy Doherty has outlined regarding our selling shares within AIB, of course what he has not acknowledged is that when we did sell a large share within AIB, we used the proceeds of that sale to reduce the borrowing the Irish taxpayer had to make to bail out those banks in the first instance. Deputy Doherty was among the most ardent of critics of the Irish taxpayer taking on more debt to support our banking system, and now that we have reduced a level of that debt which the Irish taxpayer had to incur, he is criticising the fact that I did that as well. We have competing objectives in respect of the banking system. I want to ensure we get back our money which was invested to support the banking system. I also want to ensure we have an Irish banking system that is capable of meeting the investment and credit needs of Irish small firms, Irish farmers and Irish agriculture. The course of action the Deputy is pursuing would have serious consequences-----

See this speech in context