David Norris (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I have come from my convalescent bed today for one purpose, that is, to demand that the Minister for Finance, Deputy Michael Noonan, stop lying about the decision of the Committee of Selection to nominate the members it chose in a democratic, proper and appropriate fashion to sit on the banking inquiry committee. I second Senator Denis O'Donovan's proposal that the Minister be invited to address the House to clarify the matter. He must know. I issued two statements on it last week and Senator Denis O'Donovan has clarified it. I pay a particular tribute to the Leader of the House who made it absolutely clear what the situation was. Nobody can criticise him. He laid his reputation on the line. I am demanding that they stop lying. It was my vote. Fianna Fáil Members were quiescent. They sat there and it obvious that it was a fix-up. We had this ludicrous voting where, instead of voting in one election for two out of three candidates, we voted for all three. What utter nonsense. When we did this, we put in first Senator Sean D. Barrett who was the person my group and I wished to see there because he was an international expert and respected by the Government. When we went to vote again, I naturally voted for Senator Marc MacSharry because I wanted to see a fully independent Oireachtas inquiry, not a Government inquiry. The Taoiseach had already muddied the waters months ago by prejudging the outcome of the whole matter; therefore, his hands are already sullied.

It was most definitely not a Fianna Fáil stroke.
I welcome the fact that Deputy Joe Higgins has been recommended because I believe somebody from the hard left is required to ask the difficult questions. The Irish people did not frolic en masseand engage in gambling and misbehaviour. This is happening now in order to pay the gambling debts of German banks to the tune of some €47.5 billion. In the same vein, the debts of French and British banks are €27.5 billion and €12.5 billion, respectively. We are stuck with the bill for this even though we did not run it up. I want to know how and why this happened. I reiterate that I did not realise the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, was in on the act in this squalid way. However, on three occasions I heard the Minister for Finance, Deputy Noonan, say on RTE radio news that this was a Fianna Fáil stroke. It was nothing of the kind and I demand that he retract this and reflect on the truth of what happened.