Marc MacSharry (Fianna Fail)

I do not want to go into the detail of how we will discuss the banking guarantee extension later today, with a full day of debate on the economy tomorrow. When one considers the attack, as it was, on the gates of Leinster House by a member of the public today, it brings home the level of anger of that particular individual. It is testament to the kind of anger we have all experienced over recent months and years as difficult decisions have had to be taken and as serious amounts of money have been committed to rehabilitating our banking position. The effort has been absolutely intolerable to most of us because of the magnitude of money involved but that does not deduct at all from how necessary is such action.

The cost for Anglo Irish Bank, should it be in the region of €30 billion, would mean that the servicing of that debt in the context of our national debt will be approximately €1.5 billion, which is very significant.