Mattie McGrath condemns bailout, tribunals and alleged corruption
Mattie McGrath criticised the bank bailout and ongoing tribunals, calling them corrupt, costly and shameful. He argued political decisions since the bailout have left people struggling this winter and accused parties including Fianna Fáil and the Greens of harmful policies.
Bailout condemnation
He said the vote for the bank bailout was the worst political decision he ever made, calling it a "con job" and condemning the reckless behaviour that followed - comparing the aftermath to a wild animal released in the woods.
Examples cited of alleged corruption
He named Project Eacol and what he called Project Jackdaw in Clonmel, referring to the Clonmel Alarms Hotel episode in which an owner regained control after a new buyer was undercut by agents he described as acting like an army.
Impact on citizens
He warned that families will face a harsh winter without heat, food or adequate clothing for their children, saying people are "aghast" and irritated that they were repeatedly misled by politicians.
Tribunals and legal costs
He criticised tribunals as "fodder machines" that generate work for ballisters, solicitors and legal agents while costing large sums to prove what was already known, calling the process disgraceful and disgusting.
Personal reflection and closing
He expressed personal regret for his own vote on the bailout, saying he will not forgive himself, and closed his remarks with the final line recorded in the transcript - "Con Marcos."
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Dear Minister, I am delighted to speak on this. I, as one who was here the night we voted for the bank bailout, the worst political decision I ever made in my life and I said that countless times and I suppose I won't be forgiven by people. I won't forgive myself because it was a con job, the reckless behaviour that went on and unfortunately it's still going on. On the night when the dam was set up I said that it was like a wild animal released in the woods. Nobody had any idea where it ended up and I'm not saying I'm a prophet but my god how right I was to see what the show went on, to see Project Eacol, to see Project as I named it in Clonmel with the Clonmel Alarms Hotel, Project Jackdaw I called it because that's what it was when the owner that had it was able to get it back again when a new owner wanted to buy it. Within five minutes he put in the bid, a phone call came from agents working for an army to tell him that somebody else was interested in this business. The corruption, the skullduggery that went on inside those organisations was shocking and it's still going on and fool me once is my fault but fool me twice is your fault and the people are aghast. The people that are facing this winter with no heat, not able to buy, tries to buy food or heat or clothes for their children. They are actually extremely irritated and annoyed and would you blame them because you take them for porkies and again the Fianna Fáil are in power with the last, god knows how many years now, I suppose 10, 12, 15 and since 2011. And now they have the Greens dictating the policy to put the people into peonery and all the way that these tribunals are going on. There are only fodder machines creating fodder for the ballisters and solicitors and the legal agents and the whole lot that's out there. It's a downright disgrace that it would cost this kind of money to prove nothing and to tell us all what we already knew. It's shameful, it's corrupt, it's disgraceful and it's disgusting. Con Marcos.
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