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# Dáil
'Don't be such an idiot': Heated exchanges over Central Bank response to Anglo Tapes
Mary Lou McDonald and Brendan Howlin clashed over the Anglo Tapes in the Dáil this morning.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rg9k24EZMDw
YouTube: Hugh O’Connell
THE GOVERNMENT HAS come in for strong criticism from Sinn Féin’s Mary Lou McDonald over the Central Bank’s response to the Anglo Tapes in the Dáil this morning.
During Leaders’ Questions, Public Expenditure and Reform Minister Brendan Howlin was quizzed by McDonald about the Central Bank governor Patrick Honohan’s comments yesterday that he had not listened to all of the Anglo Tapes and the view of the bank that there are “no new issues” as a result of the tapes.
Howlin insisted that those who committed criminal offences should be held to account under the laws of the land.
But he was keen to not say anything which may threaten the forthcoming trial of former executives at the defunct Anglo Irish Bank.
He stressed: “We operate courts of law under the Constitution, not courts martial.”
McDonald said that Honohan’s remarks yesterday and the Central Bank’s view of the Anglo Tapes is “simply incredible”.
In the video above – around 20 seconds in – the Sinn Féin TD can be heard off-mic saying: “Don’t be such an idiot… and the regulator has to regulate.”
Howlin insisted: “We’re interested ensuring that the slow, painstaking, difficult task of giving every assistance to the prosecution authorities to ensure that where there is any criminality that those people are held to account.”
Watch: ‘Phoney concepts’ and ‘haystacks’ – 3 clips from today’s finance committee
Read: Anglo Tapes: “No smoking gun” says Central Bank boss
