Paschal Donohoe (Fine Gael)

I concur with colleagues on the Leader's side who suggested that our new Commissioner should come to this House to give an update on the work she is doing. In doing that we should bear in mind that her job is not to represent Ireland at the Commission table but to represent her portfolio and Europe. In so doing no doubt she will do very well for our country.

I support Senator Fitzgerald's call for a debate on banking here this afternoon. Senator O'Toole is correct in what he says. I am asking myself whether this entire thing is not a set-up. Is he not correct in saying that the contours of what will happen are already apparent? The bank will get who it wants at a lower salary. It will appear chaste and humbled in front of the nation, but it will have got what it wants. It will have got an insider appointment and the corporate governance principles it wants. This issue of how much the person is being paid is a smokescreen to that bigger agenda.