Jerry Buttimer (Fine Gael)

——would not follow protocols and think about the money in the bank. We would do as we were asked to do.

I received phone calls this morning from friends of mine who work in banks and who are genuinely concerned about their safety and that of their families. They are ordinary people who are going from A to B every day and now suddenly have to think about their safety. The trauma of the three children and the Ronan family cannot be glossed over. When the Minister, Deputy Ahern, goes on national radio and talks about following protocols, he is living in a fantasy world. We are discussing the lives of people, not money. It is wrong that any individual such as a bank manager or whoever can walk into a bank, have access to hundreds of thousands of euro and walk out the door with it. The place for debate is here and this Chamber is where the Minister, Deputy Ahern, is accountable to the Members elected on behalf of the people. I, like Senator Fitzgerald, would like that debate today as a matter of urgency.