Taoiseach Micheál Martin claimed it never happened in the Dáil yesterday, and said the state took equity in the banks involved.
He had been responding to questions about ex-Debenhams workers and possible solutions to the ongoing dispute about redundancy packages.
The Taoiseach said TD Richard Boyd Barrett lived in a financial fantasy land - however the Dublin TD says the cost of the bail out is still being paid:
"They were very definitely bailed out, and at an absolutely enormous cost, a decade of austerity cost imposed on working people in this country, and a cost for which we're still paying, because of course that was also money diverted away from building public housing, away from employing enough people in the health service."
