David Cullinane (Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I make the same argument with regard to the banks. I understand why Senator Conway would argue for a banking inquiry but really what this country needs is for the Government to take control of banking policy. We saw what happened with the Personal Insolvency Bill in that we are still giving the banks a veto. We saw what happened with the recommendations in the Keane report, such as the mortgage to rent scheme and short selling. The finance committee was told by senior bankers that only 230 out of 10,000 people in mortgage distress with Bank of Ireland availed of those schemes because some of the banks have not signed up to the mortgage to rent scheme. We do not need inquiries into what is happening; we need the Government to take control of banking policy and to ensure that we, as legislators, rather than the banks, are driving and setting the agenda.