Paul Coghlan (Fine Gael)

I strongly support the call for a debate on banking. I refer to the five participating institutions in NAMA. There have been so many wrongs perpetrated on the taxpayer and we are doing so much for them to get it right that we are constantly in need of updates on these matters. It is timely for the Leader to arrange that.

There should be no question of any increases whatsoever in salaries for anyone, and there should be no increases in pension top-ups. Many are enduring so many cutbacks that it is proper that we should all move in unison, whether in the private or public sector, in the national interest. It is not happening. These institutions literally had their hands in the lion's jaw. As Senator Ross has stated, there are public interest directors in the banks and we are assisting them so much with their recapitalisation that there should be no question of any of this. The State should have a firmer hand on the tiller and should be insisting on and if necessary, dictating policy. This matter is getting out of hand and it must be stopped now. Let us have a debate on it. Let us hear what the story is and get the proper facts, not that I think we know them.

I do not want to go through the wrongs and the loans that were written off in Anglo Irish Bank, what happened in Irish Nationwide Building Society and the pension top-up for the chief executive of Bank of Ireland. One could list a litany in regard to each of the five.