Pearse Doherty (Sinn Fein)

Why did some adviser not sit down with the Minister to inform him that the plan would not wash because we were pumping billions of euro into Anglo Irish Bank and the Minister was about to agree or give him consent to an increase in the payment made to the chairperson of 70% or €70,000? At a time when the Government is crucifying people who are dependent on social welfare payments and crucifying front-line public sector workers, why was it not flagged that this will not go down well, is not the republican thing to do and is unfair? Why was it not flagged to the person who is working three days a week heading up the finance committee of NAMA that to increase his or her salary by €50,000 after being a couple of weeks in the job was not the right thing to do?

I do not understand where the Government has gone wrong here. As I have stated previously, nobody comes into politics to hurt anybody else. Everybody comes into politics to do the best for their country and for their community, and those from the Government parties believe they are doing right.

It is my job and the job of others to challenge the Government's priorities. In government and in politics, one cannot do everything and one must prioritise. I believe the priorities the Government has followed are the wrong ones. Those priorities are causing serious pain and are ill-judged. I understand that Ministers cannot be over every single issue but when issues are flagged to them, they need to be taken on board.

We got our news from Deputy Mattie McGrath on RTE today. It came from his conversations in the corridors of Leinster House with the Minister for Finance. We are still waiting for him to tell us what the telephone call was in the background and whether these payments to the employees of NAMA are to be reversed.