Mattie McGrath (Tipperary, Independent) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Rural Independent Group, I am seeking an urgent debate on what happened at this morning's Cabinet meeting regarding the bonuses to be paid to the fat cats in the banks. In case the Taoiseach tries to put words in my mouth, I am not talking about ordinary officials. Many nurses and healthcare workers are still waiting for the €1,000 the Government promised them. At the stroke of a pen, the Minister for Finance, Deputy Donohoe can bring in this measure bankers and those in government will all say it is great. This is at a time when people cannot live and cannot put food on the table or fuel in their oil tanks. They are being obliged to choose between doing one or the other. On what kind of planet are those in government living? I know they go over and back to their friends in Europe and they have nice meals and talk and everything else, but I ask them to think of the ordinary people who bailed out the banks. The grandchildren of those individuals will be paying back that debt in the future. The Government is giving the two fingers to people with this decision to pay those on €500,000 per year bonuses of up to €20,000.

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