Michael Collins (Cork South-West, Independent Ireland Party)

Yes. I wrote to the Central Bank two weeks ago and I have heard nothing back since. There are legal cases being taken at the moment. The fraud squad is also involved. When I raised this question in the Dáil the last time, the fraud squad contacted people immediately afterwards. I sent the Taoiseach and the Minister for Finance two sample cases this morning. I respect that the Taoiseach needs to look at that in his own time.

When I talk about financial advisers, I do not want to tar all of them with the one brush as most are honest in their dealings. I want to talk about those who are scam operators and who, as I said the last time I spoke to the Taoiseach three weeks ago, drive around in top of the range SUVs and are seen drinking champagne outside bars or on the side of the street, laughing at those who now cannot retire or who have retired and who have been robbed of their savings because these despicable people cannot be touched. It is time to hit the untouchables. They have ruined innocent people’s lives. It is time to have these people put behind bars. The only way this can be done is to have a full investigation into the Central Bank's procedures and weed out the reasons how these scam financial advisers were able to play nod-and-wink with the Central Bank and avoid any regulation.

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