Darragh O'Brien (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Will the Leader outline the rationale for the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, deciding tomorrow at the Bank of Ireland AGM to abstain from voting on the remuneration packages of the board of directors and senior executives, such as Mr. Boucher, who will be paid a package of €910,000, and the governor of the Bank of Ireland, whose package will be in the region of €500,000, including €49,000 for consultancy fees, and why the Minister decides, on behalf of the taxpayers who own 15% of this bank, to not even exercise his vote one way or the other? I remind the Minister that the taxpayer put €4.7 billion into Bank of Ireland, some of which has been recouped, which I welcome. I cannot understand for the life of me how the Minister for Finance, on behalf of the Irish people, is remaining silent on the remuneration package. People across this country and those to whom I speak in north Dublin do not want to remain silent on their views about the level of executive pay in the banks, specifically in Bank of Ireland. Perhaps the Leader can explain what rationale there is that the Minister-----