Mick Wallace (Wexford, Independent)

Thank you, a Cheann Comhairle, for selecting this topic. I accept that the Minister has been dealt a terrible hand, but I think the goalposts have moved in Europe. I do not think we should continue to give a certain impression to the Europeans about things. We are eager to be positive and there is nothing wrong with that. However, we are not calling our position as stark as it might be. I wonder if Chancellor Merkel is quite aware of just how difficult things are for many Irish people. It is all very well for her to stand up in the Bundestag and say nice things about us and how well we are doing. I would like her to come over here and have a look at some of the things that are going on here at the moment owing to the austerity measures we have been obliged to introduce.

Our domestic economy is in a poor place. Life is so difficult for 450,000 people who are unemployed. We are cutting learning support SNAs and language support to the marginalised in our society. We are closing hospital beds to balance budgets. If Chancellor Merkel came over here, perhaps she would be a little bit more sympathetic.

Someone stated the following in an article in The Guardian today:

Greece quitting the euro of its own accord would probably come as a surprise to policymakers in the EU. They never really intended to drive Greece out since the risk to banks would be enormous. Misled by the meek attitude of the Greek government, they imposed ever harsher measures, imagining they were doing Greeks a favour. Someone in the bubble of Brussels should have told the decision-makers what was really happening among Greece's grassroots.

Chancellor Merkel might be more sympathetic if we gave her a clearer view of how difficult things are for many people.

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