Diarmuid Wilson (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I agree with colleagues that the timing of Mr. Draghi's letter to the Chairman of the banking inquiry was a deliberate attempt to subvert that committee's efforts to reach real conclusions about what happened when the economic process in this country collapsed and this country was forced and blackmailed by the European Central Bank into taking on board a huge debt on behalf of the Irish people. I do not believe we should have had to take on that debt. As Senator O'Donovan has said, if we are able to extradite somebody from Brazil for €80 million of outstanding debt, the least we should expect is for the president of the ECB and the former president of the ECB - the president at the time - to attend the properly constituted banking inquiry that is being held by the Houses of the Oireachtas.

I agree with the Senators who have said the Taoiseach should come into the House to give us an update on the discussions concerning Northern Ireland. Thankfully, huge progress has been made on this issue, particularly in regard to peace, over the last decade or so. I think it has been a victim of its own success, as far as this Government is concerned. It has been totally ignored. It has not been supported in the way it should have been. The Taoiseach needs to come to the House to give us an update on what exactly he proposes to do to ensure progress is made in relation to the present difficulties that are pertaining in the North of Ireland.