Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Tánaiste for his reply. Last weekend he was accused by certain Members of the European Parliament from both major groupings, the European People's Party and the socialist group, of "objectionable manipulation" in respect of his pronouncements on the multi-annual financial framework. Today he is talking about a "core package" rather than a done deal, the latter being what we understood from his public comments had been achieved following the conclusion of talks at the end of last week. Will he update us on what is happening within the major groups in the European Parliament? Have they been given a particular timeline in which to reach agreement and go to a plenary session of the Parliament? Is there any indication that major obstacles remain in turning the core package to which the Tánaiste referred into a done deal on the future financing of the European Union up to 2020?

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