Taoiseach Enda Kenny today faced further criticism in the Dáil over the Government's strategy on the EU-IMF bailout deal for the State.
Speaking this afternoon, Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams raised the issue of the EU-IMF deal for Ireland and claimed the Taoiseach had gone from a five-point plan during the general election campaign to a “five point U-turn” on the deal.
He said that during the election campaign Mr Kenny had persistently described the deal as bad for Ireland and the EU but since he had become Taoiseach at every point he was saying “that you’re committed to this EU IMF deal and I don’t understand what kind of negotiating position that is”.
He pointed out that the Government had given a further €3 billion to Anglo Irish Bank and Irish Nationwide.
Mr Kenny who said those payments were based on a promissory note from the previous government and he had made the promise to tell the people the truth. These payments were going to have to be made, he said “and when we opened the press this part of what we found”.
He insisted that “the Government’s decision of last week brought about certainty and clarity as far as the Irish banking sector is concerned”.
Mr Kenny said: “It’s about time that somebody made a decision in respect of the Irish banking sector. This Government looked at the position of the six dysfunctional banks, which couldn’t get funding.” It had created two pillar banks which would be a “bulwark” for the future and had been internationally accepted.
Shane Ross (Ind) said those people in the market thought that Ireland was being governed by people who did not understand markets at all. “Senior bond holders have been given a blank cheque by Irish taxpayers as a result of the Irish government decision in 2008,’’ he added.
Mr Kenny said the Government had made a decision to reduce the number of dysfunctional banks and create two pillar banks. “That is different from the last government because it is a decision which brings clarity and certainty to the Irish banking sector,’’ he added.