Results 7,341-7,360 of 7,975 for speaker:Joe Higgins

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: Okay. And referring to those very slides, Mr. Gallagher, there were some from February '08 and then a further presentation - all this has been in evidence previously but we don't need to take the time to put it up. I just want to ask you one thing in relation to that ... in this ... that the February slide said, "open-ended [...] State guarantees [exposing] the Exchequer to the [...] the...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: Okay. And, Mr. Gallagher, can we fast forward then the night of the guarantee in September 2008? And the evidence from the senior bank executives, who were in and out of meetings in Government Buildings, is that they brought a draft guarantee on the night. And Mr. Gleeson's evidence is, to quote, "we furnished our draft guarantee [...] to the Government at [a] very early session." And Mr....

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: And, Mr. Gleeson, or Mr. Gallagher, sorry, Mr. Gleeson, to quote him again, he makes that point but then ... and he says, "This formula was eventually adopted later in the night pretty well word for word". And what I want to put to you, Mr. Gallagher ... if it's extraordinary, or not, that you, perhaps, and the Government wouldn't be coming with written formulas in relation to what needed to...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: And, Mr. Gallagher, do you remember having sight of that document or having the document in your hand that the banks said they brought?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: Thank you, Mr. Gallagher. We've also had evidence that there was a sentence, I think, at the initiative of the Government or Government officials stating that all banks in the State were solvent, and on the banks' request that was removed from the final version. Can you throw any light on that?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: But, Mr. Gallagher, does it suggest that there were people in the room that night who had very serious concerns that there were ... some banks were actually insolvent on that night?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: Yes.

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: Just to move on, Mr. Gallagher, because of time. You state in your opening statement that President Trichet of the European Central Bank "had evidently made it clear that the Government should stand behind its banks, and that the banks were the State's responsibility". Do you remember being advised of the rationale given to you to accept the position of Mr. Trichet?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: Mr. Gallagher, you outline in your statement that there was "no fundamental legal or constitutional impediment to introducing legislative measures for further burden sharing." Can you throw a little light then on what happened subsequently? We had evidence yesterday from Mr. Corrigan of the National ... formerly of the National Treasury Management Agency writing to the Minister for Finance...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: Yes. On the other hand then, Mr. Gallagher, you said it wasn't a legal or constitutional impediment. You had these other considerations and pressure from Europe. But what was your reflection on putting a €64 billion burden of bad bank debts onto the shoulders of the Irish people, taxpayers and the consequences of austerity and so forth that flow from that?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: Mr. Gallagher, you said earlier that you felt Ireland was isolated as the crisis broke but did you, as Attorney General, were you a regular attendee at international Bilderberg Group conferences during the crisis?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: And were you there as an official representative?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: And were you asked to contribute in relation to the Irish crisis or to give a paper?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: Or did discussions take place on the Irish crisis?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: The Bilderberg Group, Mr. Gallagher, is regarded as being highly secretive. Some say it's also representing the global capitalist elites, if you like. Do you think it's appropriate that the chief law officer of the State would be involved with it?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: Why do you think they would be interested in getting a member of the Irish Government, even if you're not in official capacity?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: Mr. Gallagher, finally ... like Mr. McCarthy yesterday, who was a chief in the Taoiseach's Department previously, you explained the red line issue that corporation tax was for the Government in dealing with the troika, etc. But can I ask you: do you think it's a moral and defendable position that a Government would take that, you know, highly profitable corporate entities should be protected...

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: But did they express-----

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: -----qualms to you about interfering with the wages of the poorest workers at the same time?

Committee of Inquiry into the Banking Crisis: Nexus Phase (16 Jul 2015)

Joe Higgins: Thank you, Mr. Gallagher.