Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

-----and to keep the debate at that level, but not to look more seriously at the issues that the review brings out.

There are 34 recommendations in this review. It has changed dramatically. Parallel with that, last week, the Government published the credit union Bill. The Minister of State, Deputy Fleming, has done excellent work in this regard. This review states that the credit union has significant potential now in terms of mortgages, small and medium sized businesses, SMEs, and other issues. That is the raison d’être.

In terms of the Bank of Ireland and the restriction on the higher level of remuneration, that bank is now completely independent of the Government and it has paid back everything that it was given by the Government. It is independent of the Government. We are not giving anyone any pay at all.

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