County enterprise boards legislation
Deputy Mattie McGrath seeks reassurance about county enterprise boards and raises a related concern about Ulster Bank; the Tánaiste says the dissolution Bill is due this session and offers to circulate his prepared reply on Ulster Bank.
I am glad. I hope the Deputy is not calling the Minister of Staet, Deputy Tom Hayes, as he is now part of the Government. I ask about the county enterprise boards (dissolution) Bill. There were people from my and other counties here yesterday who are very concerned about their future. I have supported our county enterprise board and I value what it has done with little money over the years.
With regard to the Central Bank (consolidation) Bill, will the Tánaiste comment on what I regard as a very worrying statement last night from Mr. George Osborne, MP, about the disengagement, or perhaps the dropping into the Irish Sea, of Ulster Bank by the Royal Bank of Scotland? I have raised this significant issue before. There will be a major effect on us here in Ireland.
Comment on this
Not on Ulster Bank. I had a very substantive reply ready to give the House in anticipation that-----
Comment on this
-----some of the Opposition parties might have considered it sufficiently important to raise this morning.