The public will not be fooled any longer. I compliment the Irish Independent on raising the scandalous and disgraceful events in respect of revelations about Anglo Irish Bank and the massive public deception members of senior management perpetrated upon the Irish people from September 2008 until this day and for generations to come. The BBC and the whole world is discussing what is going on in Ireland. Describing it as causing shock, nausea and teeth-grinding anger is putting it mildly indeed. The Taoiseach said he understands the rage and upset of the Irish people and that he can appreciate the anger out there. I very much wonder, after his reply to the last number of questions.

The Taoiseach also said he wants to make sure the promised new legislation to hold a banking inquiry will be sufficiently comprehensive. That says a lot. A spokesperson for the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform, which is sponsoring the inquiries Bill, said that under its terms Oireachtas inquiries would not be empowered to make findings of individual culpability. The committee will only be able to inquire into the facts surrounding the banking collapse. Is this what the Taoiseach means by sufficiently comprehensive? Why can the authorities not refer to the Criminal Justice (Theft and Fraud Offences) Act? There are plenty of articles in it for people who act dishonestly or set out to mislead. Why the cover-up and the delay? We must have individual culpability and we must disregard the nonsensical pleadings of senior management that they were not party to any strategy to mislead the Central Bank when we have it in their own words that they set upon a reckless and deliberate deception that has cost this country and its people dear. The dogs in the street know that. The Tánaiste says he had no idea the tapes existed of senior figures discussing the bank rescue fund and the subsequent bank guarantee. How credible is this? We all know conversations with banking institutions are recorded. Are we to seriously believe that five years into the farce, not one person in government thought to ask whether there was a record of conversations in this crucial period?

The Minister for Finance is sitting beside the Taoiseach. When he took up the job, he must have had discussions with senior management of the bailed out banks. Was he lied to, along with his predecessors and previous Ministers? What answers did he get and did he ask the questions? If not, why not? Was the Minister for Justice and Equality informed the tapes existed? He seems to be informed of every other triviality so I am sure he was informed of this.

Does the Taoiseach agree with the chairman of the Fine Gael Parliamentary Party, Deputy Charles Flanagan, that the Oireachtas is not the appropriate forum for the banking inquiry? We need a short sharp commission of inquiry with no politicians involved, hand-in-hand with a robust criminal investigation that is fully resourced and efficient and assisted by police forces from abroad if necessary. Will the Taoiseach agree to take this course of action on behalf of the public so many years later in light of the election promises he made?

I think Deputy Mattie McGrath was a member of the Fianna Fáil Party when all of this went on. I take it he was very supportive of what happened then.

So was Deputy Finian McGrath.

If that is the best the Taoiseach can do, it is a sad day. We need leadership.

The tapes mentioned here were supplied to the Garda Síochána over four years ago as part of its investigation into matters at Anglo Irish Bank. Those investigations have led to a number of criminal charges being brought against individuals. As the Garda is the body responsible for criminal investigations in the State under statute-----

The Taoiseach should not take credit for those investigations. They were started four years ago.

-----it was informed of this type of behaviour. That is the reason those tapes went directly into Garda possession from Anglo Irish Bank under warrant. The Deputy talks about a cover-up. My God, the fact is that following those investigations criminal charges have been preferred against a number of individuals. That process is in train.

I believe that the legislation currently going through the Houses will provide a process for a parliamentary inquiry which can lead to the truth. We will start that process. We want to find out the truth about this. The people demand it and they are entitled to have it-----

And the Taoiseach promised it.

-----given that they have been crucified economically, and into the next generation, because of what happened. We see the condescending way individuals treated this as a matter of fun and games. We need to find out about the entire process leading to that culture and environment of hail-fellow-well-met, we are all part of this process, keep it rolling, keep providing those high mortgages, keep prices inflated and look after the builders, developers and bankers. We know very little about that and the legislation dealing with parliamentary inquiries will start that process. I would like to see it under way early in the autumn. I hope we can define terms of reference with a specific remit that can, in the public's interest, have accountability and truth brought to this matter to the greatest extent possible. The criminal law will take its own course in the courts.

The Taoiseach is not answering any questions. Did the Minister for Justice and Equality know about the tapes? I welcome the Taoiseach back from his globetrotting six month EU Presidency and comhghairdeas ar an obair. He is back to the real world now and it is time he took some responsibility for the inaction of his Government on all the promises it made. The individuals in Anglo Irish Bank are only second-rate guys. We need to know how many more scoundrels are lurking in the shady vaults of Anglo Irish Bank and, indeed, the other banks, including Bank of Ireland, AIB and Permanent TSB.

Every legislative measure brought to this House has given a veto to the banks. With regard to the mortgage crisis, the Government is setting targets but the banks are just dangling people on a string. It is the same with the personal insolvency legislation. On every item, the banks have not been tackled head-on but have been given a veto on everything. Who or what is the Taoiseach hiding? He promised so much with disdain, as did the Tánaiste, Deputy Gilmore. Indeed, the Minister for Transport, Tourism and Sport, Deputy Varadkar, said there would not be one more red cent for Anglo Irish Bank. Does he remember that? Does the Government think the people are complete idiots?

The Taoiseach promised the people no more cuts to welfare or savage attacks on the most needy in society, one of which he went back on today. This Government went to the people for a mandate and said it needed people's votes to get us out of this mess. In the Anglo Irish Bank charade, the bank went to the Central Bank and said it needed its money to get it out of that position. It got the money from the last Government, of which I was a member. I have never shied away from that. I voted for it.

Does the Deputy have a question?

I was also duped. However, the Taoiseach knows that both he and his Minister for Finance have done nothing about it. Did the Minister ask the questions? If not, why not? Did the Minister for Justice and Equality know? If he did not know, why not, when he is able to know about trivialities? Both the Government and the banks have deceived the people. Both have broken promises. There has been no accountability on either side. Does the Taoiseach agree that it is high time there was such accountability? Will he set up a criminal inquiry and a robust investigation? There is no point in bringing it to the Oireachtas. While we have powers of compellability, it will not be effective. It will be just another smokescreen and the people will not wait for that. We cannot wait and time has already passed. Will the Taoiseach do what he was elected to do? The mandate he got was to sort out this mess, deal with it and provide honesty and truthfulness for the people.

I agree with the Deputy's last comment about honesty and truth. It has been a privilege to have been leader of a Government which has dealt with the Presidency of the European Union for the last six months.

Well done. Now it is back to the real world.

This morning the file on Horizon 2020 was agreed. Yesterday, the file on CO2 emissions was agreed. The Minister for Finance will be working hard tomorrow and tomorrow night on the question of bank resolution and bank recovery towards banking union, which is all part of this. We hope that the discussions currently under way with the Tánaiste in respect of the multiannual financial framework, MFF, can lead to a conclusion. If the Deputy thinks that is globetrotting, he is entitled to his opinion.

I had the doubtful privilege of calling into Anglo Irish Bank with Deputy Bruton, when he was the party's spokesman on finance, a couple of weeks after the guarantee went through. We met all of the principals in the bank's building on St. Stephen's Green. We were given a wonderful presentation by people who were very well remunerated in their positions and received very large bonuses. As has transpired, all of that presentation was a tissue of fabrication and untruths. The questions we asked on that occasion, from the Opposition benches, were very realistic in the context of the pressures people were under and the stories, rumours and allegations that were flying around about that bank. They were all utterly denied. I make that point for the politicians who are interested in what happened here.

The Opposition was meeting with them as well.

We are interested in finding out facts and the truth. We will bring the legislation through the Dáil and the Seanad, we will set up the parliamentary inquiry and define the terms of reference for that, and we will move forward on getting accountability and the truth in the interest of the people. As I said, next year is a different story in the context of the charges being brought against certain individuals. They will be processed through the courts system.

That concludes Leaders' Questions.

Did the Minister for Justice and Equality know about the tapes?

Did the Deputy know?