Taoiseach Enda Kenny was this week called upon to wake up to the extent of public anger which exists following the astonishing revelations which have emerged regarding the activity within Anglo Irish Bank during the period of the State guarantee of deposits.

Independent TD, Mattie McGrath was speaking on Tuesday during Leaders Questions where he forcefully challenged the Taoiseach to initiate ‘an immediate criminal investigation into the full extent of the deception which was carried out by senior Anglo management upon the Central Bank and which the taped conversations have compellingly confirmed was an agreed upon strategy in pursuit of a Government injection of emergency funding’.

“The tapes have confirmed all of our worst fears. We have it from the mouths of senior management themselves that the very financial stability of the State was of secondary concern to the vested and selfish interests which they were pursuing. Instead of the Taoiseach turning his fury on the perpetrators of this fraud however, he chose instead to try manoeuvre the debate away from any responsibility his Government might have in failing to react more swiftly in terms of pursuing this evidence, and toward his usual tactic of ‘blame everyone but me’.

“These tapes have been in the possession of the Gárdaí for four years and it is only now when the Taoiseach is suffering considerable political damage about the economy and the proposed abortion legislation among other things that they have emerged. Is this a coincidence? If it is, it has proven to be a very valuable one in terms of deflecting public concern away from him.”

The Taoiseach refused to answer any questions about whether the Minister for Finance or Justice was at any time made aware of the existence of the tapes. He dismissed the idea his Government has any questions to answer in terms of accountability.

Deputy McGrath went on to challenge the Taoiseach however that none of his indignation could be taken seriously while his Government has consistently given the Banks power to veto all legislation which has come before the Houses of the Oireachtas in terms of tackling the mortgage arrears crisis or negative equity.

“As usual we have witnessed the Taoiseach talking tough to all the wrong people. He needs to directly engage with these individuals, respond to the urgent and palpable sense of anger that exists out there and stop puffing up his chest while the bankers continue to laugh at his hollow protests and promises to take action,” concluded Deputy McGrath.