Martin Brady (Fianna Fail)

We paid a high price for social partnership, the aim of which was to guarantee there would be no industrial unrest. Good trade union leaders ensure there is no such unrest, unless their members are being badly done by. Unless they have a serious grievance, they do not bring their members out on the streets. A social partner does not place a picket on a premises with the words, "You are an awful lot in there. I am your partner, but I am out here with some of your employees and I will ensure we will bring down your business". The message must be sent loud and clear that people should not operate in that way. I have nothing against trade union leaders. They are entitled to do their job and represent their members. However, they are not entitled to use their members for their own aims - to ensure they stay in their jobs and draw huge salaries - and pretend they are doing their best. Let them do the job for which they are paid, rather than using vulnerable people to cause mischief and anger.

Many comments have been made about bankers and the money they were being paid. Some time ago I wrote an article about bankers which was published in the Evening Herald. Before the crash, I said developers had served their purpose in society; they paid tax and employed many. However, young people were cajoled into buying houses through slick marketing and advertising. They were led to believe that if they did not queue up at 6 a.m., they would not get a house. They were led to believe by slick marketeers and auctioneers that the first phase of 1,000 houses would cost €250,000, while next week the same houses would cost €300,000 each.

Representatives of the Construction Industry Federation attended a committee where I asked them why this was happening. They said the reason was fluctuation in bank interest rates. I asked them if they could substantiate this with paperwork but they could not. A member of the delegation said: "Deputy Brady, you are quite right. What we are doing is wrong and we are going to stop it." That is what went on, but there is no point in blaming everyone because everybody got a little out of it. I was a public servant. It may not be popular to say public servants did badly out of all this, but the figures show otherwise. Under the benchmarking system, we got money for nothing, including me. Benchmarking increases or bonuses are generally paid to ensure productivity. We are paying CEOs bonuses on top of salaries of €300,000 a year, which represent an increase in their wages. All of this must stop. There should be a provision in the Bill to prevent bank managers or CEOs from sitting on outside bodies, from taking a directorship in the Dublin Docklands Development Authority or elsewhere, because it is a conflict of interest which is open to abuse. That should be stopped. Bankers should not be allowed to become involved in anything connected with finance or development. In addition, when such individuals retire, there should be a provision to stop them becoming involved in these areas for a number of years.

Ireland is a nation worth fighting for. It is worth fighting for future generations and business. Let us fight together instead of blaming each other and throwing snide remarks about who won or lost. We are where we are and must make the best of it. We are all in the one boat which we must steer together. That is the only way out.