Taoiseach quizzed in Dáil about Army at ATMs remarks

Taoiseach Enda Kenny has come under renewed pressure in the Dáil over his comments that the governor of the Central Bank had told him to prepare to deploy the Army at ATMs back in 2012.

Mr Kenny said Patrick Honohan had recently spoken on the issue and had said the matter had been “put to bed”.

The Taoiseach insisted: “I make no apology for having to deal with clear warning signs that were there about the economic collapse and about the collapse of the euro, and those contingency plans covered all those issues.”

Sinn Féin finance spokesman Pearse Doherty challenged Mr Kenny about the remarks he made to a European People's Party meeting in Madrid last week, which provoked criticism from the Opposition.

The Taoiseach had subsequently said it was not a specific briefing from the Central Bank he had received but that the issue was discussed by a Government taskforce including the Central Bank.

Leaders’ questions

During leaders’ questions on Tuesday, Mr Doherty said the Taoiseach had referred to the issue three times including in the Dáil on October 20th, and he asked whether he needed to correct the record of the House on the matter.

Mr Kenny, noting the absence of Sinn Féin leader Gerry Adams and deputy leader Mary Lou McDonald, said it showed the respect they had for the Dáil that they were off fundraising in the US.

Mr Adams walked into the chamber a short time later.

The Taoiseach later acknowledged his attendance.

Pressing the Taoiseach, Mr Doherty said they knew about the contingency plan from the investigations of the banking inquiry.

He said the “specific question is your claims at Fine Gael fundraisers, at your meeting of the European People’s Party and in this Dáil on 20th October, where you state very clearly that the governor of the Central Bank, somebody who sits on the general council of the ECB, came to you on a Wednesday and he told you that we need to execute this plan on Friday”.

Mr Doherty said the governor had said that any discussions in relation to contingency plans were in the context of a break-up of the euro and asked, “Was this a fantasy of Enda Kenny?”

The Donegal South West TD said the State had spent almost €5 million on the banking inquiry “getting to the guts” of what happened but also at the policy responses to rectify the matter.

Economic circumstances

Mr Kenny said the discussions took place against a background when there were very serious economic circumstances applying, through 2011 and 2012, and the discussions warranted the implementation of a strategy that might deal with the eventuality where the euro might collapse.

The Taoiseach said later in the Dáil that it would have been absolutely negligent not to put such a contingency in place and discussions included logistics, security and an alternative currency.

It was not appropriate to speak then about those contingency plans, and it was not appropriate now.