Liam Coyne

Statement by Liam Coyne Social Democrats candidate for Dublin South Central.
18/2/2016
For immediate release.The Social Democrats Liam Coyne has voiced his strong support for Independent TD Joan Collins’s challenge to the Minister for Finance’s issuing of €31bn promissory notes in favour of Anglo Irish Bank and other financial institutions.

Deputy Collins`s challenge opened before a seven judge Supreme Court this morning. (Thursday)

The main issue the Supreme court will have to decide is whether the Oireachtas has capacity to delegate to the Minister for Finance a decision to allocate unlimited sums of public monies.

While Ms Collins is a constituency rival of Liam’s in next week’s general election he said the case is of such national importance he felt he should take time out of canvassing to attend the hearing.This case is all about the powers the Minister of Finance and the Government have to disperse massive amounts of public money without putting it to the Dail without approval.

Liam believes that such a move should at least have gone before the Dail so that people can have their on what is to be done with taxpayers money.

Social Democrats TD Catherine Murphy, was also in court to support the appeal.

Deputy Collins appeal is against a November 2013 three judge High Court decision rejecting her case.

The High Court ruled the promissory notes were validly issued under a law which was constitutional.

The Minister for Finance’s provision of financial assistance to the institutions did not require either a separate Dail vote or a defined upper limit on that assistance, it found.

ends