Ivana Bacik (Independent)

I echo the calls by Senators Fitzgerald and Alex White for a debate on the links between the Government and bankers in the wake of the revelations about the Taoiseach's contacts with Mr. Sean FitzPatrick. It stinks of cronyism. As Senator White pointed out, the real question is why they did not speak about Anglo Irish Bank and about its well known problems in the early months of 2008. That is a worrying question. Senator Norris suggested that they were avoiding the subject deliberately for some reason. However, the clear implication people are drawing is that the relationship between them was so close that they could talk about other things and that Mr. FitzPatrick had such a level of access to the Taoiseach that they did not need to discuss specific matters of business. We know they had discussed them previously following a phone call on St. Patrick's Day in March 2008.

This shows us that the actual Galway tent may have been abolished, but the virtual tent of cronyism remains within the culture of the ruling party in this Government.